"KL Rahul was taking them to the top 4 always, but he was still removed" - Mohammad Kaif on Rishabh Pant as LSG captain heading into IPL 2025
Mohammad Kaif reckons Rishabh Pant will be under immense pressure as the Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) potential captain in IPL 2025. He pointed out that KL Rahul was removed as skipper despite taking the franchise to the playoffs in two of the last three seasons.
LSG didn't retain Rahul ahead of the auction and didn't bid for him either. They bought Pant for ₹27 crore and will likely appoint him as their skipper.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Kaif opined that a lot will be expected from Pant as LSG's potential skipper.
"Rishabh Pant will have to put in a lot of hard work because Lucknow comes in the top four. KL Rahul was taking them to the top four always, but he was still removed. Whatever might have been the talk between them, that they were not getting along, they wanted the team in the final as it's been three years, so he was asked to go," he said.
The former India batter added that the franchise owners won't be satisfied just by making the playoffs.
"So they took Pant. There is a lot of pressure on Pant because he has to take the team to the top. It won't work out just by taking the team into the top four. They were already coming in the top four repeatedly. He has been picked for a lot of money. Rishabh Pant has a point to prove that he can take the team into the top two as a leader," Kaif observed.
LSG reached the playoffs in the 2022 and 2023 editions of the IPL but lost in the Eliminator to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Mumbai Indians (MI), respectively. They finished seventh last season as they had the lowest net run rate among four teams who garnered 14 points apiece.
"International fast bowlers" - Mohammad Kaif on LSG's weakness heading into IPL 2025
![Shamar Joseph is the only overseas seamer in LSG's contingent. [P/C: iplt20.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/11/daf7e-17327755390046-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same discussion, Mohammad Kaif picked overseas fast bowling as the Lucknow Super Giants' weakness heading into IPL 2025.
"They have built a good team. The one weakness I see is international fast bowlers. The batting is good. They have David Miller, Rishabh Pant, Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram. Spin bowling is also good. They have Ravi Bishnoi, M Siddharth and Shahbaz Ahmed," he said.
The cricketer-turned-commentator noted that the Lucknow-based franchise doesn't have an experienced international seamer who can guide the Indian pacers.
"However, they couldn't pick an international fast bowler who could guide Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan and work with Avesh Khan. Mayank Yadav bowls well and picks up wickets. They have got a talented bowler in him. However, every team has a bowler like Mitchell Starc or Josh Hazlewood, who brings international experience. That is missing in this team," Kaif observed.
LSG bought Shamar Joseph for ₹75 lakh at the IPL 2025 auction. Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Akash Deep, Akash Singh and Rajvardhan Hangargekar are the Indian seamers in their 24-member squad.