IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant Was Trying to Be Dhoni? Ambati Rayudu on Not Bowling Thakur at the Death
Ambati Rayudu questions Rishabh Pant’s captaincy, saying LSG lost because of poor bowling execution, not leadership.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) faced a big problem before their first match in IPL 2025 against Delhi Capitals (DC). Their fast-bowling attack was weak because Mohsin Khan was injured. As a last-minute decision, they brought in experienced pacer Shardul Thakur. He had gone unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction, but LSG gave him another chance.
Thakur made an immediate impact with the ball. In his very first over, he took two important wickets—Jake Fraser-McGurk and Abishek Porel. It was a dream start for him and LSG. However, things did not go as planned in the final overs of the match.
Did Rishabh Pant Follow MS Dhoni’s Style?
As the match reached its final moments, DC batter Ashutosh Sharma started hitting big shots. LSG needed to control the game, but captain Rishabh Pant made a surprising decision. He did not bring back Thakur for the death overs. Instead, he trusted young Prince Yadav and spinners, as the pitch was helping spin.
However, this plan did not work. DC batters took advantage, and LSG lost the match by just one wicket. After the match, former CSK batter Ambati Rayudu shared his thoughts. He felt Pant was trying to follow MS Dhoni’s strategy of using spinners in the final overs.
“I think he was trying to maybe do what MS Dhoni used to do on wickets like that, especially bowling spinners in the end. And his spinners actually let him down. To be very honest, I don’t think it’s the captaincy. I think it’s the bowling execution that has let him and LSG down,” Rayudu said on ESPNCricinfo’s post-match show.
What Went Wrong for LSG?
After his great first over, Thakur gave away 13 runs in his second over. In the final overs, Pant relied on spinners Digvesh Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi, and Shahbaz Ahmed. He also gave Prince Yadav the 19th over. Prince had bowled well in his first two overs but struggled under pressure. DC batters, especially Vipraj Nigam, hit important boundaries, scoring 16 runs in the 19th over.
In the end, LSG’s plan to use spinners did not work, and they lost a close match. While Pant’s decision was debated, Rayudu believed the bowlers were unable to execute their plans properly.
