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Ex-India opener Virender Sehwag advises struggling LSG skipper Rishabh Pant to call MS Dhoni for guidance amidst criticism of his form in IPL 2025. Pant has failed to justify his price tag of INR 27 crore, as he scored just 128 runs in 11 matches.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag has offered advice to Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant, who has been struggling with his form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Rishabh Pant is the most expensive player in the IPL history after LSG franchise snapped him for a whopping INR 27 crore, just 25 lakhs more than PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer, at the IPL 2025 auction. However, the 27-year-old has failed to justify his price tag as he aggregated just 128 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 12.80 and a strike rate of 99.22 in 11 matches. His only fifty came against Chennai Super Kings, scoring 63 off 49 balls.
Pant’s latest performance was against Punjab Kings, where he scored 18 runs off 17 balls in the Lucknow Super Giants’ 37-run defeat after failing to chase down 237-run target. His inconsistent performance despite being the most expensive IPL player, questions were raised by fans and experts alike on LSG’s auction strategy and Pant’s ability to handle captaincy pressure and expectations.
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Call MS Dhoni
Amid criticism on Rishabh Pant’s form, Virender Sehwag has simple advice to the LSG skipper. Speaking on Cricbuzz after the LSG’s defeat to PBKS, former India opener suggested calling and having a conversation with MS Dhoni, whom Pant considers him as an idol as it will help him get in a right frame of mind.
“Again, he does have a mobile, all he needs is to pick up the phone and call someone. If you feel you are thinking negatively, there are so many cricketers you can discuss with. Dhoni is his role model, so he should call him. It will lighten him up," Sehwag said.
Rishabh Pant and MS Dhoni played together for India in white-ball cricket from 2017 until the latter’s retirement from international cricket in 2020. Post Dhoni’s retirement from his international career, he has continued to mentor young players, especially at Chennai Super Kings, and has maintained a close relationship with Pant, who often spoke about his influence in his game and mindset.
Sehwag suggests Pant to check his old videos
Further speaking about Pant’s poor run of form in IPL 2025, Virender Sehwag also suggested the LSG skipper to go back and see his old videos of scoring runs, while citing his example of how former India captain Sourav Ganguly asked him to check his own batting videos after he was dropped from the team following his inconsistent performance in 2006/07.
“I think Rishabh Pant should watch his old IPL clips where he scored runs, and that will give him confidence. Many times, we tend to forget our routines because this Rishabh Pant is totally different from the one we saw before his injury.” the former India opener said.
“I remember back in 2006/07, when I was struggling with runs, I was dropped from the Indian team, and then Rahul Dravid told me to go back and check my routine from the days when I used to score runs. Sometimes when there are disturbances in the routine, it affects the runs," he added.
In the last IPL season, Rishabh Pant made his return to competitive cricket after being on the sidelines for 15 months due to injuries he sustained during the near-fatal car crash on Delhi-Dehradun Highway on January 1, 2023. Playing for Delhi Capitals, Pant made a remarkable comeback in the IPL 2025, amassing 446 runs, including 3 fifties, at an average of 40.55 and a strike rate of 155.40 in 13 matches.
