On Tuesday, May 27, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will play Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium to wrap up a lacklustre Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL) campaign.

LSG pacer Akash Deep defended his skipper, Rishabh Pant, and discussed the significance of time ahead of the high-stakes match.

At the IPL 2025 mega auction, the LSG management paid INR 27 crore to sign the wicketkeeper-batter, making him the most expensive player in the history of the competition. Following that, Pant was named the team’s captain. But in IPL 2025, he had a poor batting performance, and his captaincy was also lacking.

“You see, I think timing is also really crucial in cricket. Since Rishabh has played a lot of cricket, at a very high level, and has performed well, I don’t think it’s about pressure. An athlete with a wealth of life experience is able to cope with pressure. Therefore, pressure is not the cause, in my opinion. Sometimes you want to accomplish something, but it just doesn’t work out. This is more about timing. During the pregame press conference, Akash stated, “I think that’s the stage that Rishabh is going through at the moment.”

Playoffs could end as Pant aims for a great finish.

Six victories and seven losses have been recorded by Lucknow under Rishabh Pant’s direction. They now sit eighth in the IPL points standings as a consequence. They can finish at No. 6 with a victory over RCB. A victory would advance the Rajat Patidar-led RCB to Qualifier 1, where the Punjab Kings await. As a result, they will understand the significance of this match.

With a strike rate of 107.10 and an average of 13.73, Pant has only amassed 151 runs from 12 innings in the current IPL 2025. When he scored an undefeated 16 off six balls with two sixes in LSG’s most recent match against Gujarat Titans, he appeared to be in good form. The 27-year-old wants Tuesday to be a strong campaign finale.