'One good knock and then failing...': Kaif urges Pant to 'find consistency' after batting failure against KKR
New Delhi, April 10
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant needs to take more responsibility as a captain and needs to find consistency in his approach after lacklustre batting in a thrilling win over Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.
Pant, who scored just 10 runs in the match, came under scrutiny from Kaif, who felt the wicketkeeper-batter should have played a bigger role in the chase. "Rishabh Pant will not be happy with his knock of 10 runs. He played a match-winning innings in the previous game against SRH, helping LSG get over the line. But against KKR, the team needed him to stay till the end," Kaif told Jio Hotstar.
The former batter stressed that leadership comes with added responsibility, especially in pressure chases.
"As captain, if you don't take responsibility, you cannot help your team win games. Yes, he did well against SRH, but he needs to find consistency. Playing one good knock and then failing in the next few games is not enough," Kaif added.
Chasing 182 at Eden Gardens, LSG got off to a strong start, reaching 41 in the first five overs. However, they lost momentum in the middle phase before a brilliant unbeaten 54 from Mukul Choudhary guided them to a last-ball, three-wicket win.
Kaif pointed out that the situation did not demand excessive risk when Pant walked in to bat.
"He is an experienced player, having been in the IPL since 2016. The situation when he came out to bat was not particularly difficult. LSG had already scored 41 in the first five overs. One batter needed to take responsibility and bat through the chase. That role was meant for Pant.
"He has to read the match situation better and learn when to shift gears. A captain's job is to stay till the end in a chase, and that is something Pant must work on," he noted.
Kaif also feels that Ajinkya Rahane's captaincy was top-class in the game, and KKR did so many good things in the game, but lost the plot against Mukul, who played a match-winning knock of 54.
"I feel bad for Ajinkya Rahane because he had an amazing game as captain. This defeat against Lucknow will prove to be demoralising for KKR. They did so many things right in this game. Despite a very depleted bowling attack, they managed to put LSG under pressure. Sunil Narine and Anukul Roy bowled well. Vaibhav Arora's first and even his second spell were not bad at all. Lots of things came together for them," he said.
"Cameron Green gave them a couple of overs, got a wicket, and showed he had the capability to score runs with the bat. It looked like a victory would complete the effort. But then Mukul Choudhary took the game away from KKR. Ajinkya Rahane and his men had the match almost in their hands, but a fearless knock from a prodigy turned things around," he added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's a bit harsh? The team won, and Mukul was the hero. Pant's leadership got them over the line even if his bat didn't talk. Captaincy is more than just personal scores.
Consistency is the key! We've seen this with Pant for India too. When he's on, he's unstoppable. But he needs to build an innings more often. That's what separates good players from legends. 🇮🇳
True words from Kaif. Pant is a match-winner, no doubt. But with the captain's hat on, he has to play the situation. Sometimes you need a 40-ball 50, not a 10-ball 30. Hope he learns and comes back stronger.
Let's not forget he's just back from a major injury. The fact that he's playing and leading is incredible. The consistency will come with more game time. Have some patience, yaar.
Interesting analysis. Kaif highlighting Rahane's captaincy is a good point too. Sometimes you do everything right and still lose to one brilliant innings. That's T20 cricket.
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