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The most expensive player in Indian Premier League (IPL) history, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant has been going through a rough patch. The wicketkeeper-batter has managed to score just one half-century, that too in a losing cause against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Following his diminishing returns, former Indian all-rounder who had previously coached the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Sanjay Bangar feels that Pant is 'confused' and is yet to understand both white-ball formats.
"We have to recognise that he's still yet to totally understand the white-ball game - both formats, 50-over cricket as well as T20 cricket. A fabulous Test match batter, make no mistake about it, but here in this particular season, what I noticed is that he got out a number of times looking to play shots behind the wicket," Bangar said on Star Sports.
Bangar feels Pant has forgotten his best
Bangar believes that Pant should get bat to his old ways of scoring down the ground, through covers or when advancing down the wicket. Furthermore, he believes that the southpaw has forgotten his best game.
"Now, you pull out the best innings of Rishabh - where has he looked to score the runs? Drives through covers, step down the track and try to hit the sightscreen or go over midwicket, square. But here he was trying to play those reverse sweeps or shots that are very fine. So as a batter, I think probably he just got caught in that confusion and forgot that his best game, or that he plays at his best, is when he's looking to score down the ground," Bangar added.
"If you do look to score down the ground a lot of times, then all those other areas open up. But if you're only looking to score behind, then whatever is in front of you, you sort of are very much late and not in a great position to play," he added.
So far, Pant is the least performing batter in the LSG. He has managed to score 128 runs from 10 innings at an average of 12.80. His strike rate is as low as 99.22.
Currently, LSG are placed seventh on the points table with six losses from 11 games.
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