Rishabh Pant is the most expensive player in Indian Premier League (IPL) history. Lucknow Super Giants bought him for ₹27 crore, making him the costliest player ever in the league. Naturally, the entire country and most fans were eagerly waiting for his first appearance—both as the most expensive player in IPL history and as the captain of LSG. Before beginning of IPL 2025 in an interview with Jatin Sapru he told about his experience of IPL auction as he became the most expensive player. He replace KL Rahul in LSG as their captain. We will deep dive into this and try to find out that buying Rishabh Pant at 27 crore price is worth it or not.
The 27 Crore Price Tag
Believe it or not, but a ₹27 crore price tag definitely brings pressure with it, no matter how much you try to deny it. Whenever a team spends a huge amount on a player, they naturally expect a performance that matches the price — and so do the fans. So yes, the pressure is always there.
In IPL history, there have been many cases where the most expensive players failed to perform according to their price tag. But that doesn’t happen with every player. It all depends on the individual’s mindset — how well they can handle pressure.
And that seems to be the case with Rishabh Pant this season. He looks under a lot of pressure, which is affecting both his captaincy and his on-field behavior. He seems frustrated and unable to lead the team effectively.
We’ll discuss this in more detail as we move forward.
Pant's Form and Fitness
Rishabh Pant’s current season has been the worst of his IPL career so far. With such a massive price tag, his performance has been far from justified. On December 30, 2022, Pant met with a serious accident while traveling from Delhi to his hometown, which kept him away from cricket for almost one and a half years. He made his return in IPL 2024 and has since played continuous cricket, especially in Tests, where he delivered solid performances.
The IPL 2025 auction took place during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, and that’s when Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history. So, there are no real questions about his fitness anymore. The bigger concern was about his white-ball form—and in IPL 2025, that has been completely missing.
Here are Rishabh Pant’s IPL 2025 stats so far:
Matches: 11 | Runs: 128 | High Score: 63 | Average: 12.80 | Strike Rate: 99.22 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 1 | Fours: 11 | Sixes: 6
His poor form has also started to affect his captaincy and wicketkeeping. There’s visible frustration in his body language, and he hasn’t been able to lead the team with clarity and confidence.
Team Impact
In the current season, Rishabh Pant is playing the role of captain and middle-order batsman, but he hasn’t been able to justify either of those responsibilities. Neither is he finishing matches nor anchoring the innings. His form with the bat is poor, and that has disrupted the balance of the playing XI.
Lucknow’s middle order looks shaky, and instead of being a strength, Pant has become a weak link. They are more dependent on their Top 3 – Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Pooran. As a captain, his body language is not positive, and his decision-making seems confused. His frustration is visible on the field, which is not a good sign for young players looking up to him for leadership.
Performance vs. Price Tag
Let’s be honest—Rishabh Pant is not justifying his ₹27 crore price tag. His numbers this season are far below expectations.
In 11 matches, he has scored just 128 runs with an average of 12.80 and a strike rate of 99.22. That’s extremely poor for someone who is now the most expensive player in IPL history.
If we break it down, he’s roughly being paid ₹2.45 crore per match, and in return, he’s averaging just over 11 runs per game.
If we break it down, he’s roughly being paid ₹2.45 crore per match, and in return, he’s averaging just over 11 runs per game. Compare this to other top-performing, high-impact players this season like Shreyas Iyer (405 runs at 180.80 strike rate), Virat Kohli (505 runs at an average of 63.12), Nicholas Pooran (410 runs at a strike rate of 200.98), or Suryakumar Yadav (475 runs at an average of 67.86)—these players have consistently delivered for their teams with match-winning performances.
They’ve not only justified their price tags but have also taken responsibility in crucial moments. In contrast, Rishabh Pant has neither scored runs nor led the team effectively, making the ₹27 crore investment look highly questionable so far.
Historically, the most expensive IPL players have often struggled under pressure, and Pant seems to be going through the same phase. When you carry the heaviest price tag, you’re expected to deliver match-winning performances—not just be present in the XI.
Fan & Expert Reactions
On social media, fans have not held back. Memes and criticism are flooding platforms like X (Twitter) and Instagram. Many fans feel that the ₹27 crore was wasted and that Pant was rushed back into leadership too soon after his return from injury.
Some former cricketers and IPL experts have also pointed out that his poor form is affecting not just his batting but also his captaincy and keeping. A few experts have said that instead of focusing on leadership, Pant should have been allowed to play purely as a batter to rebuild his rhythm.
Media coverage too has been sharp. Headlines like “Costliest Buy, Cheapest Returns?” and “Pant Under Pressure” have been doing the rounds, showing the growing scrutiny around his performances.
'Pant चुका रहे हैं ख़राब शॉट चयन की क़ीमत'@VirenderSehwag और @TiwaryManoj ने की चर्चा, Cricbuzz Live हिन्दी पर #IPL2025 #RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/AQW43pIQsK
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) May 5, 2025
Conclusion
There’s no doubt Rishabh Pant is a talented cricketer and a fighter. But this season, things haven’t gone his way. The ₹27 crore price tag, his poor batting form, average captaincy, and visible frustration on the field all suggest that the decision to invest so heavily in him is not paying off—at least not yet.
On the flip side, one can argue that he’s still finding his rhythm after a long break, and maybe he needs more time to get back to his best. But in a league like IPL, time is a luxury teams can’t afford when so much money is on the line.
Final Verdict: As of now, Pant’s performance is not matching his price tag. It’s fair to say the buy looks overpriced.