Kevin Pietersen disagreed with Lucknow Super Giants’ decision to promote wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant as an opener against Delhi Capitals, which was played at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium B Ground, on Wednesday, the 1st of April. Delhi Capitals won the toss and chose to bowl first. Lucknow Super Giants were bowled out for 141 as Delhi Capitals won by 6 wickets, chasing the target in 17.1 overs.

During the last season, Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh opened the batting, while in the ongoing season,  LSG opted to promote Pant alongside Marsh, which was a surprising call. The move didn’t yield the desired results as Pant got out for just 7 runs as he looked uncomfortable from the start of the LSG inning. The wicket-keeper batter was run out at the non-striker’s end.

In 23 T20 innings, Pant has scored 672 runs with a strike rate of 158.49, registering 1 century and 5 half-centuries as an opener, but the numbers aren’t on his side when it comes to his strike rate batting at no 4 or 5. He has opened alongside Rohit Sharma as an opener for Team India since 2022, but has scored just 71 runs in 5 innings at an average of 14.2, which highlights his incompetence as an opener in the shorter format while playing for Team India, despite his success as an opener at the domestic level or franchise cricket.

Pietersen stated that he was surprised by LSG’s move and thought that the decision to send Pant as an opener looked overambitious. Pietersen further added that LSG bowlers looked inaccurate, which Rishabh Pant also highlighted. Pietersen curiously asked whether Rishabh Pant was an opener, looking at the options LSG have in their batting lineup.

Pietersen’s advice on Pant

The former England batter stated that a change in the batting position will put pressure on the wicket-keeper batter and won’t allow him to play freely. Pietersen stated that Pant needs to enjoy his game and not put himself under pressure by promoting himself as an opener.