Virender Sehwag fires ‘call MS Dhoni’ advice to Rishabh Pant amid IPL dip, Shaun Pollock wonders 'if he is missing...'

Virender Sehwag fires ‘call MS Dhoni’ advice to Rishabh Pant amid IPL dip (LSG/PTI Photos)

Experts are worried about the poor performance of Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant in the current IPL 2025. South Africa great Shaun Pollock, unable to come up with a suitable explanation for the slump, believed it was due to the absence of Team India teammates in the LSG line-up, despite India veteran Virender Sehwag's advice to speak with his "idol" MS Dhoni.

In Sunday's 37-run loss against the Punjab Kings in Dharamsala, Pant was removed for just 18 runs off 17 balls. The 26-year-old, who was purchased at the mega auction in Jeddah last year for a record Rs 27 crore, has only scored 128 runs in 11 innings this season at a concerning strike rate of just 99.22. Since making his IPL debut in 2016, this has been his lowest batting performance.

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Talking on Cricbuzz, Sehwag advised Pant to watch his previous IPL footage again in order to boost confidence and see if his run-scoring style has changed. Sehwag recalled a similar period in his international career and stated that run-scoring is frequently impacted by small adjustments to routine.

"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. 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 said.

Additionally, Sehwag recommended Pant to give Dhoni a call to discuss his form. "Again, he does have a mobile, all he needs 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," he added.

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Pollock, who participated in the English post-match discussion of the LSG-PBKS game on Cricbuzz, believed that Pant's form had likely been impacted by his Indian colleagues' absence from the LSG line-up.

"I am wondering what explanations you will give. Is he the kind of guy who is more of a homeboy and is missing the company of his fellow Indian players? He is surrounded by four international players. He doesn't have a mate, if you want to put it that way. Is there someone with whom he connects and who brings out that jovial side in him? I'm just trying to pluck on theories, because he is affected and is not in his normal self," he said.

On May 9, LSG will host the Royal Challengers Bengaluru for their next game.