Former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu wants Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant to take the onus on his shoulders. Rayudu also urged Pant to come up the batting order for the Lucknow franchise. On Tuesday, Pant decided to bat at number seven against Delhi Capitals at Lucknow after LSG were put into bat by Axar Patel but was dismissed for a two-ball duck.

Pant hasn’t been in the best of forms in the ongoing season as he has amassed only 106 runs in eight innings at an average of 13.25 and a strike rate of 96.36.

“I feel Pant really needs to take the onus on himself. He really needs to take the decisions on his own. You want everything to be said indoors. And also you don’t want any dirty laundry to be washed outside. Pant really needs to take the control of the decisions that are being made at LSG,” Rayudu said on Match Centre Star Sports.

“He needs to come up the order. He cannot give any more excuses. He is the captain. And it is a captain’s sport. We all acknowledge that. Going forward, they need to make a few changes: maybe get Mayank Yadav in. Also Rishabh Pant has to be batting slightly higher,” Rayudu added.

Meanwhile, LSG could only manage 159 runs on the board despite their openers adding 87 runs for the opening alliance in the first 10 overs. DC were able to chase down the target with 13 balls and eight wickets to spare. 

Abishek Porel and KL Rahul scored 51 and 57* runs respectively after Mukesh Kumar returned with match-winning bowling figures of 4-33 in his quota of four overs.

Lucknow Super Giants will next take on Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on Sunday.