The name Rishabh Pant makes cricket fans excited. Pant has played some fantastic innings due to his fearless batting style.
But Pant's performance in IPL 2025 has raised eyebrows. His recent slump seems starkly different from his previous accomplishments and one of his most famous T20 innings. And it begs the question, what has changed for the explosive wicketkeeper-batter?
The 128 Rishabh Pant Innings
In the 2018 IPL season, Rishabh Pant played an amazing innings for the then - Delhi Daredevils against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He scored a blistering 128 not out from 63 balls in a match that is unforgettable for multiple reasons.
It was also the highest T20 score by an Indian at the time. It was a tremendous feat considering the Sunrisers had one of the best bowling line-ups in the tournament.
Pant was irrepressible, making 15 fours and seven sixes. The innings broke boundaries, and mesmerised spectators and players across the globe. This knock made everyone see him as a future star. He showed he could win matches alone, and that day 128 Rishabh Pant constituted over 68% of his team's runs.
The Dilemma of IPL 2025 and the Vanished 128 Rishabh Pant Magic
Time now fast-forwards to the IPL 2025 season. Rishabh Pant's situation looks much different. After signing with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a record contract of INR 27 crore (the highest of all time in IPL), Pant immediately came under massive expectations to perform. However, he has really struggled to get runs this season.
Overall, it has not been a good season for Pant. In his first 13 matches, Pant scored only 151 runs. His batting average was a dismal 13.73 and his strike rate was down. In one stretch of 11 games, he scored only 128 runs. This is a big time fall from a player who used to bully bowlers. LSG as a team did not make the playoffs either. All of this has caused many people to question whether Pant is in in-form.
Looking into the Drop in Form: From 128 Rishabh Pant to Now
So what happened to the star player? A few former cricketers and pundits have analyzed a few factors. Sanjay Bangar, a former Indian batting coach, indicated that perhaps Pant is still figuring out the right way to play T20 cricket. He also suggested that Pant's shot selection has been a bit perplexing.
In 2025, he got out several times attempting to try things like the reverse sweep. This is distinct from one of his best innings in which his runs mostly came with the ball being pushed straight down the ground.
Another problem has been his batting role. He was changed and bounced around so much in 2025 that I do not know where he was coming in to bat. He may have opened some games, or he may have come in at 5 when he was arguably the best batter in the side. Constantly playing with his position perhaps had a bearing on his rhythm and confidence. The player who struck that world class 128 Rishabh Pant appeared to be full of his own confidence. The current version on view looks to be unsure and lacking clarity.
Additional Measures Provided by Cricket Analysis Platforms
These days, fans are supplied with many ways of looking at a player's performance with substantial detail. The online platforms present a significant amount of statistics and data. For example, platforms like Kheloexch give fans deep match statistics and coverage. Fans are better placed to understand exactly what the player is opening in the type ,length or movement of bowlers that they are struggling with.
Another platform is called Kheloexch360 and is more game centric.Children know their players form and therefore the platform gives you some deeper insight into how player ne played . From the data, you can analyse certain patterns. In the case of Pant , you might conclude he may be struggling against particular style of bowler, or even at a particular point in a match situation.
This type of close examination helps illustrate why a player like Pant, with the acknowledged talent of someone who played an incredible 128-run innings, Rishabh Pant is struggling.
Conclusion
Sometimes the journey of an athlete shows just how quickly things can change in sport. Rishabh Pant's 128-run knock is a reminder of a great talent in sports and a reminder, for all of us, of how quickly fortunes can change. His struggles in IPL 2025 also show that even the best players have their down seasons. Even though we may feel he has been struggling lately, Pant has also shown that he can bounce back from adverse performance situations in the past. Cricket fans around the world will be hoping to see him return to his destructive best before long.
