Lucknow Super Giants still sit last in the standings after losing again, this time to Mumbai Indians on Monday. Coach Justin Langer faced reporters once more, fielding questions under clear pressure. Two victories from eight games tell a story few expected at the start. The mood around the camp feels heavy, not loud. Much of what came up pointed toward Rishabh Pant – how he leads, when he decides, whether it sticks. Talk circled back to his role, again and again. Little else seemed to hold space in the room. Each answer from Langer carried weight, measured but tired. Hopes are thinning fast with every dropped result. A season slipping away shapes tough conversations like these.
Struggling for rhythm, the LSG skipper’s frequent changes to the batting lineup sparked questions. When facing Mumbai, Pant moved Josh Inglis up front to pair with Mitchell Marsh at the start; meanwhile, Nicholas Pooran took the third spot. Though tactics shifted fast, reactions followed just as quickly.
Out stepped Pant at position four, though he managed just 15 before losing his wicket. That form dipped sharply from a net session two days earlier – there, Langer pointed out, he’d struck around 95 from thirty or maybe forty deliveries. Match pressure? Perhaps. The spark vanished when it mattered most.
Two days back we had a trial match right here. Rishi – yeah, Rishabh Pant – he smashed runs fast, could have been 95 from 40, maybe even fewer deliveries. You watch once, your breath catches. That’s him fully lit, raw talent on display
“So, he’s a very good player; we know that. We’ve seen him in Test cricket destroy teams at number five, and we felt today, given that and the way he played just two days ago after a seven-day break, that it might be a good option for the team,” he said.
Langer made clear it was Pant who chose – quietly – to step down the lineup. That shift seemed to pay off right away when Pooran blasted 63 from just 21 deliveries, only to lose his wicket soon after.
“He selflessly moved down the order to let Nicky P bat, whose batting was unbelievable. So yeah, Rishi’s not far off. As a captain in the IPL, or as a coach, you’ve got to keep fronting up, don’t you? That’s all you can do, and he’ll keep fronting up and hopefully help us get some wins over the next few games,” he asserted
