Pant's start as captain of Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025 may have been okay, but his batting has proved to be a different story, and much of a disappointment. That burden of ₹27 crore dolling out pressure, along with the responsibilities of captaincy, now seem to weigh down the faltering southpaw. Serious concerns have arisen within the LSG camp over Pant's poor run of form. The captaincy came to him after replacing KL Rahul following his record-breaking ₹27 crore purchase at the mega auction. After missing IPL 2023 due to a car accident that nearly cost him life, he made a stunning comeback in IPL 2024, thanks to 446 runs in 13 fixtures. Meanwhile, the Delhi Capitals finished indeed 6th, with 7 wins from 14 matches, and Pant's return grabbed a lot of headlines. However, 2025 is a different ball game. LSG has won only two out of its first four matches. His personal scores have gone down to zero, fifteen, two, two, all reflected in his individual performance at Pant. Also Read: Virat Kohli Smashes Bumrah for Six on His IPL 2025 Return One should also bear in mind that Pant had hardly any competitive matches leading to this IPL. He remained completely benched during the entire Champions Trophy, although he was in India's squad. The high-salaried player now in IPL 2025 is perhaps, under the throbbing scanner of criticism, particularly that arising from LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka. Following every defeat in this ongoing season, Goenka has been seen having serious conversations with Pant after each of the matches, just like during his earlier sessions with former captain KL Rahul. These visible moments could be having an impact on Pant's mind space, ultimately damaging his performance in the crease. One very rational move would be for Pant to shed the trappings of captaincy and devote himself entirely to batting. Interestingly, not all top-retained players from other franchises have been handed the captaincy this season. LSG too has leadership alternatives in the squad. Also Read | Top 5 Key Player Battles to Watch in KKR vs LSG - IPL 2025 Match 21 Nicholas Pooran seems to have the inside track. He is the franchise's second-highest-paid player and arrives with adequate leadership credentials. Moreover, Pooran has had a great season. If LSG is considering a young Indian captain, Ayush Badoni is another strong contender. He is, just like Pooran, a sound batsman. Earlier this year, he received the captaincy of the second phase of the Ranji Trophy from Pant, who wanted to promote this young talent. Something like this could be a pick-me-up for both the franchise and Pant. Pant with a salary of ₹27 crores is probably given the captaincy, but in case he doesn't show up with the bat, tough calls might be needed. If dropping captaincy can revive the best version of him, it might be worth doing.