"Ready for Sanjiv Goenka vs Rishabh Pant" - Fans brutally troll wicketkeeper batter for another failure in PBKS vs LSG IPL 2025 clash

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant endured another dismal outing with the bat in the IPL 2025 clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Dharamsala on Sunday, May 4. The 27-year-old showed glimpses of his best with two boundaries and a maximum before falling for a disappointing 18 off 17 deliveries.

With LSG chasing an improbable 237 for victory, Pant walked in to bat at 16/2 in the third over. Despite having ample time to construct a long innings, the wicketkeeper batter threw his wicket away with an ungainly dance down the ground in an attempt to smash the ball over covers.

Pant has scored only 128 runs in 11 games thus far this season at a paltry average of 12.80 and a strike rate of under 100. His lone half-century came in a defeat to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Lucknow.

Pant was the most expensive buy in IPL history at ₹27 crores in the 2025 auction. He has received heavy criticism from all corners for his sluggish performances.

Fans on X were in no mood to relent on trolling Pant after another poor performance, with one saying:

"Script is getting ready for Sanjiv Goenka vs Rishabh Pant after today's match in Dharamshala. Drama awaits!"

The reactions to Pant's umpteenth failure this season continued, with one fan saying:

"PANT is actually finishing LSG qualification chances."

"Pant is being so bad that even Goenka won't be able to fake smiles for the PR," tweeted a fan.

"Looks like Pant will be thrown out of LSG in the mini auction pool and he’ll be lucky to even bag 10crs," a fan said.

"Definitely too many runs" - Rishabh Pant on LSG's defeat to PBKS

Rishabh Pant admitted that the LSG bowlers conceded far too many runs to PBKS in the first innings of their 37-run defeat. The home side scored a massive 236/5 in 20 overs before restricting LSG to 199/7 in their 20 overs.

Reflecting on the loss at the post-match presentation, Pant said (via ESPN Cricinfo):

"Definitely too many runs. When you drop crucial catches at the wrong time, it can hurt you badly. We thought it would do more, but we did not pick the length right at the start. But that is part and parcel of the game."

The defeat puts LSG on the brink of elimination with only five wins in 11 outings. They are in seventh place on the standings and will likely have to win all three remaining games to stand a chance for playoff qualification.