Former Indian spinner and veteran Anil Kumble has called for a better attitude from the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper, Rishabh Pant.
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Pant was seen visibly frustrated during a chat with the team's mentor, Zaheer Khan, in the dugout during the match against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Ekana. The LSG skipper came in to bat at no. 7, only to face the last two balls of the innings.
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He was dismissed for a two-ball duck while trying to reverse-lap a low full toss from Mukesh Kumar on the last ball of the innings. However, his troubles didn't end there - he continued to remain tense throughout the match as his team went on to lose the match by eight wickets.
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What did Anil Kumble say about Rishabh Pant's frustrations?
Former Indian spinner and legend Anil Kumble has expressed his opinion on Pant's unpleasant antics during LSG's batting.
Kumble acknowledged Pant's frustrations and believed the team should have sent him in to bat after Nicholas Pooran's wicket, adding that No. 7 is too low for a batter of his talent.
Speaking to Star Sports during the post-match discussion, he said, "It's alright if you want him to come in under less pressure, but this was way too late."
While Kumble felt Pant was wronged in this case, he urged the LSG skipper to maintain a positive attitude.
"The kind of frustration Rishabh is showing is evident that he was wronged. He probably wanted to bat higher. Was it his decision? Or was it coach Justin Langer's? Or maybe mentor Zaheer Khan's? Whose decision was it? Because he looked very frustrated," Kumble said.
He added, "You have to make peace in these situations. He is the captain. He has to take it in a positive way. Whatever frustration or anger he has, he should translate that into a positive performance."
Rishabh Pant loses his cool in animated chat with Zaheer Khan
Things seemed to boil over during the match as cameras caught Pant in what appeared to be an intense exchange with team mentor Zaheer Khan.
With gloves on and visibly ready to bat, Pant was seen having a long discussion during the dying stages of the innings. That hinted at deeper issues within the LSG camp.
embarassing from pant 🤢 https://t.co/pSTn3lkScf pic.twitter.com/snbPkwAIwl
— sᴜɢᴀʀ (@Sugar_Sai_Gill) April 22, 2025
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