Head coach Justin Langer, however, refused to let the numbers define Pant’s season. During LSG’s game against Gujarat Titans, Langer hailed Pant’s strength amid personal and professional adversity.

“You always judge a person’s character by how they go through tough times. And Rishabh’s stayed consistent the whole way through. I really respect that. We all know what he’s been through over the last couple of years, but he keeps stepping up, he keeps performing, he wants to get out in the middle, and he wants to keep fighting hard for the boys,” said Langer.

The 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batter’s output with the bat has fallen starkly short of expectations, but Langer stressed that Pant’s attitude remained unshaken despite LSG’s faltering campaign.

“So from that point of view, he’s done a really good job. You would not know, and that’s a sign of a really strong person,” Langer added.

LSG’s dominant win

LSG’s recent win over Gujarat Titans, powered by Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran’s fireworks, was a timely reminder of what this side is capable of on their day. Their 235-run total in Ahmedabad was defended with ease, but such moments have been few and far between for a side that has looked disjointed during crunch moments.

With one match left—against Royal Challengers Bengaluru—Langer stressed the importance of pride and professionalism as LSG aim to bow out with a statement.

“I mean, there’s always something to play for. There are guys who haven’t had great seasons who want to showcase their talents, and as a team, we respect that we haven’t been at our best the last few games. There’s no excuse for that, but we want to show that we’ve got a very good core. We’ve got a closely-knit team. There’s no doubt about that. So it’d be nice to finish off strongly,” he said.