Costly Move to Lucknow Super Giants

Even more newsworthy was Rishabh Pant’s ₹27 crore transfer to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 2025 IPL mega auction. Opting to go into the auction rather than being kept by existing franchise Delhi Capitals (DC) for ₹18 crore, Pant wanted a larger contract, and he got one. LSG’s recent crushing loss to Punjab Kings has led to him being at the focal point of stinging criticism.

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As DC coach Hemang Badani later shared, Pant himself was itching to explore the market, fully sure he would be able to command a bigger price. As the player that LSG made their biggest-ever investment in, expectations were high. With LSG’s disastrous start to the season fueling questions of whether it was a worthy gamble, the discussion has begun.

𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 toh auction mein hi khatam ho gayi thi! 😉 pic.twitter.com/TnWcg5MxdM

— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 1, 2025

Punjab Kings Troll Pant After Loss

Speaking to media before the season, Pant had a laugh at Punjab Kings’ auction plan: “I had only one tension, that was Punjab (laughs). They were earning the biggest purse as well. Well after LSG’s exit, Punjab Kings’ social media handle hilariously trolled him with a savage reply as such: “Tension toh auction mein hi khatam ho gayi thi!” The stress rippled all the way through the auction itself!

Pant gone for 2(5) against Punjab 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 #LSGvPBKS
pic.twitter.com/To1NAjXoAN

— Harish (@harish_484) April 1, 2025

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This lighthearted shot below brought the firestorm of criticism raining down on Pant to a boiling point. Though he’s still one of the league’s best players, the focus on his leadership and all-time performance will be placed more diminishedly under the microscope now.

With LSG failing so far to show tangible results, the scrutiny is even more intense. So Pant needs to make sure that all that faith shown in his record-breaking price tag was worth it, lest all that pre-auction confidence return to roast him. Time will tell if the upcoming LSG matches prove that he can indeed guide the franchise to greatness or if this decision will go down as an expensive error in judgment.