“Rishabh Pant Should Learn From Virat Kohli”- Manoj Tiwary Slams LSG Captain

Rishabh Pant has copped some huge criticism for his poor batting in the ongoing IPL 2025. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain was dismissed for a single-digit score in their recent match against the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur.

After defeating the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Saturday, the Lucknow Super Giants resumed their winning ways; however, captain Rishabh Pant's bad form continued as he was removed for just three runs off nine balls. In eight games of the current IPL 2025 season, he has only scored 106 runs at a mere 15.14.

Pant's woes don't seem to end

After escaping an LBW scare on the first ball he faced, Pant needed three more deliveries to get off the mark before Wanindu Hasaranga deceived him with a bold reverse sweep attempt. Before wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel could easily catch it, the ball took the top edge. Pant left for his fourth IPL single-figure score of the year.

Hence, former India batter Manoj Tiwary lashed out at the LSG skipper for his “unconventional” batting.

‘No need to play a reverse sweep’- Manoj Tiwary on Rishabh Pant

Tiwary questioned the reasoning behind Pant's short selection in an interview with Cricbuzz, claiming that it was the same reason Sunil Gavaskar had reprimanded him live during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series earlier this year.

"Rishabh Pant is that kind of player — he is brimming with talent. There is no need for him to go and play a reverse sweep right away, yet he does it. That’s why Sunil Gavaskar got upset during the Test match in the Border-Gavaskar series. Even he knows that Pant has so much ability that he can score runs with straight-bat cricket. So why doesn’t he do that? Why does he go for the unconventional?" Tiwary said.

Rishabh Pant should learn from Virat Kohli: Manoj Tiwary

Manoj Tiwary believed that Pant ought to learn from Virat Kohli and adopt a calmer attitude to the white-ball format.

"If he has to learn from someone, it should be Virat Kohli. When Kohli came into international cricket, he didn’t play at a strike rate of 100 in the 50-over format. He took his time — scored 7 runs in 10 balls, sometimes just 5 in 10 balls — but he kept building his innings."

"That’s what Pant needs to do now — take a little time. It may not seem like it when you watch with your eyes that it's a 20-over match, so you feel like you need to go bang-bang and finish it off quickly. But there are 120 balls in a T20 innings," Tiwary explained.

LSG will next be in action against Delhi Capitals on Tuesday at home.

Also Read: RCB Troll Themselves After Virat Kohli-Led Batters Collapse vs PBKS