Masterstroke Or Blunder? How Rishabh Pant's Promotion Over Pooran Hurt LSG In Playoffs Race

Rishabh Pant after his wicket against SRH (Source: AP Photos)

Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in the history of IPL when LSG bought him for 27 Crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. He was expected to live upto his high price with some big performances this season, but the batter has failed miserably. 

Rishabh Pant Continues His Poor Form In IPL 2025

Surprisingly, in the game against SRH, southpaw promoted himself at number 3 when the stage was set for Nicholas Pooran to explode. The decision was a bold one, and Pant needed a  big knock to prove the move right. However, he could muster just seven runs off six balls, continuing his disastrous run in IPL 2025.

The move was a blunder in many ways and here are some of the main reasons why Pant promoting himself at number 3 in place of Nicholas Pooran was a problematic move.

Pant's Promotion At Number 3 Kills LSG's Momentum

Firstly, LSG lost their first wicket in the 11th over at a score of 115. In such a scenario, the batting team generally sends in a power-hitter who can utilise the platform and remaining overs as much as possible. Pant is an aggressive batter, but Pooran's clean-hitting ability is one of the best in the world, thus going with him made more sense at that point in time.

The pitch at the Ekana for the LSG-SRH game is also pretty flat, and the home team needed a big score against a team like SRH that have power-packed hitters in their line-up. The opening duo of Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram did everything they could to set the platform for that big score of over 200 with quickfire fifties. 

Difference In Scoring Rate After Promotion Of Rishabh Pant At Number 3

So, it was the responsibility of the middle order to take the game forward. However, Pant's promotion and failure at 3 killed all the thrust they had, and eventually they fell short of the total they were expected to reach.

Unexplainable Demotion Of In-Form Nicholas Pooran In A Do-Or-Die Game

Secondly, Nicholas Pooran has batted at number 3 in all the matches of this season and has done well too, scoring 447 runs at an average over 40 and strike-rate close to 200. Thus, with LSG in situation where they have to win all their three matches to qualify for the playoffs, demoting an in-form batter who is known for his power-game was a big risk. 

Comparison Of Pant And Pooran In IPL 2025

More importantly, Pant is currently short of confidence because of his poor form in IPL 2025. He did not show fluency even in the game he scored fifty and in this match too, he chewed up crucial deliveries. Also, his wicket forced Pooran to take some more time before he could unleash, and he still managed to score 45 off 26 balls. Thus, Pooran batting at 3 could have helped LSG get those 10-15 extra runs which they missed out due to Pant promoting himself.

LSG managed to cross 200-run mark, but the momentum they lost in the period between 11-15 overs, restricted them to a chaseable total. A mistake that one cannot afford to do in a must-win game against a strong opponent.

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