L-R: Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer, skipper Rishabh Pant and team mentor Zaheer Khan. (Sportzpics for IPL)In their last game against Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant came to bat at number 7 with two balls remaining in the innings which left all wondering about the reason for the wicket-keeper batsman coming much down in the batting order. Pant was dismissed off the last ball of the innings, failing to score any run. Earlier, Pant was seen having an animated discussion with team mentor Zaheer Khan while sitting in the dug-out and waiting for his turn to bat in the 19th over.
The former India captain and selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth has criticised LSG coach Justin Langer over the episode.
“I didn’t understand. Why did he come to bat for just two balls?”Srikanth said on his YouTube show Cheeky Cheeka.
“What’s Langer trying to do? What’s the team management trying to do? Zaheer Khan trying to do?”
When the host, his son Anirudh, asked him whose decision it was to send Pant so low down, Srikkanth said: ” I don’t know. Some people say Rishabh Pant wanted to go in to bat but they didn’t allow him.
“But he is the captain. Why should he have anybody’s permission to go inside. At the end of the day it’s team management decision.
Everybody’s sitting there. Langer is also there. Doesn’t he have brains? (“Moolai-eh kidaiyaada avanaku?)
When Anirudh interjected to say that “Zaheer was also there”, Srikkanth said “yes three people: langer, zaheer and Pant. Don’t they have brains?”.
On Jiohotstar, another former India captain, Anil Kumble, too had weighed in on the issue.
“It’s alright if you wanted to bat more freely under less pressure by coming in late but this was way too late. 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 s? Whose decision was it? Because he looked very frustrated,” Kumble said.
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