Rishabh Pant posted a heartfelt message for his Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) teammate Aiden Markram after the historic win of South Africa in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter, who is with India's team gearing up for the England Test series, took to social media to praise Markram's match-winning century over Australia on Saturday, June 14.

Pant, who led LSG in the just-concluded IPL 2025, has grown close to foreign teammates Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram. Although LSG missed out on a playoff spot, both Markram and Pooran impressed with the bat, scoring 445 and 524 runs, respectively. Earlier this week, Pant also paid tribute to Pooran after the West Indies star announced his retirement from international cricket.

In the wake of South Africa's five-wicket win over Australia, which finally ended their ICC title drought, Pant lauded Markram's calmness and brilliance during the final. Addressing him as his "brother," India's star player wrote:

A Bond Beyond Franchises

"Well played, Aiden, brother. I am so happy for you—what a great knock under pressure. You have made us all proud, and congratulations to South Africa on lifting the WTC mace," Pant tweeted on X.

Well played, Aiden brother . I am so happy for you - what a great knock under pressure. You have made us all proud and congratulations to South Africa on lifting the WTC mace.👏🏆 pic.twitter.com/YNqaj4gFis

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) June 14, 2025

See Also: MLC 2025, SF vs NY Match 6: Oakland Coliseum cricket stadium stats and Head to Head

Pant is already in Kent, taking part in India's intra-squad warm-up match as part of their build-up to the five-Test series against England, which starts on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. South Africa, on the other hand, will play a two-match Test series against Zimbabwe from June 28 at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.

West Indian batting dynamite Nicholas Pooran shocked the world by announcing his international retirement on Monday. The 29-year-old batter hailing from Trinidad had featured in 61 T20Is for the West Indies and was poised to be the mainstay in his national side after becoming the highest run scorer for his side in this format. 

Following his retirement. Pooran began receiving support from different corners of the cricketing world. His own LSG teammate Rishab Pant stepped in to offer his support in the form of a heartfelt note. 

See also: Nicolas Pooran appointed as skipper of MI franchise

Pant pays tribute to Pooran on his retirement

Pant and Pooran reportedly share a very good bond on and off the field. While being characteristically similar in their batting style, the duo share the same dressing room in the cash-rich league and know each other from the inside out. The Indian vice-captain wished him all the best and lauded him for whatever milestones he had achieved for West Indies cricket.

"You have made your mark bro - a true teammate, friend and an absolute powerhouse. Proud to have shared the field with you, Congrats on everything you have done for West Indies cricket. Wishing you nothing but success for the road ahead. Respect always."

Pooran made his IPL debut in the 2019 season and has represented three franchises - PBKS, SRH, and LSG. The Trinidadian-born batter joined LSG in 2023 and has since then not looked back. He has had the most amount of successing playing for this franchise, scoring 1381 runs, averaging around 43. His retirement came a week after Heirich Klaasen announced his retirement from international cricket. Prior to Klaasen, Australia's Glenn Maxwell had also called time on his ODI career, making 2025 a year of retirements. 

Pooran made the decision to retire when he informed WICB not to consider him for the white-ball tour to England. With nearly eight months to go before the 2026 T20 World Cup kicks off, Pooran's departure will serve as a massive blow for the 2016 champions and a loss for Windies cricket as a whole.

On May 27, 2025, LSG's road to the playoff race officially drew to a close. That day marked the end of LSG's disappointing campaign in the IPL 2025 season. Their journey had been riddled with despair, coupled with a series of highs and lows, leading to their elimination from the playoff race. Facing off in their last league game against RCB at home, LSG found themselves in a very commanding position by the halfway stage. LSG's swashbuckling wicket-keeper batsman Rishab Pant, who had been dormant all throughout the season, finally got going with the bat and slammed the RCB bowlers to all parts to register his first century of the season. 

Despite concluding the first innings on a high, LSG bowlers lacked the impetus to close out the game and allowed the likes of Salt, Kohli, and Jitesh to get off the hook. In the end, RCB ran away with the game and completed a record run chase, winning the match by six wickets to finish in the top two. Much to the demise of the LSG supporters, Pant's magnificent century was overshadowed by Jitesh's match-winning knock of 85*, which proved instrumental in getting RCB over the line. 

See also: IPL 2025, Match 70: Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Full Match Highlights

Rishab Pant conveys heartfelt thanks to LSG's support staff 

It's been a season to forget for LSG. Irrespective of what has happened to the Lucknow-based outfit this season, Pant made sure that he conveyed his mention of thanks to his team members and his coaching staff, all of whom supported him diligently throughout his journey. He thanked all the individuals who were in the frame (and those who were not), for meticulously planning and executing everything from scratch. 

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗩𝗣𝘀 - 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺.@LucknowIPL#RP17 pic.twitter.com/DVvzS0qWU4

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) May 28, 2025

Pant has been selected for the upcoming England tour, which will comprise a five-match Test series. He will be handling the keeping responsibilities and serve as Gill's deputy. It is worth noting that Pant averages 32.71 across 17 Test innings with a career-best score of 146.

The summersault after the century talked a lot about Rishabh Pant's IPL 2025 journey. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) spent INR 27 crore to bring in Rishabh Pant, a record-breaking bet that proved flop in an unthinkable scenario.

After creating so much hype and attracting a bagful of money, Pant concluded his IPL 2025 season with a 50-plus innings and a century. The century came when LSG was already out of playoff contention. Pant's ton was not enough to grab a win against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), and after the match the southpaw looked out of confidence when he was asked about next season's squad.

The wicketkeeper-batter, who is named the deputy of Shubman Gill for India's tour to England, in 14 IPL 2025 matches scored only 269, including an unbeaten 118-run innings against RCB, the last league match of the tournament. Not only for being off-color with the bat, Pant's on-field decision as a captain caused criticisms.

Read More: PBKS vs RCB, IPL 2025: Former India cricketer suggest to drop this overseas cricketer in Qualifier 1 match

Now, a part of cricket fans are now not willing to see Rishabh in the Lucknow jersey. Should Rishabh and Lucknow Super Giants choose to make a golden handshake before the next season?

When the middle-order batter asked about the future of the team, he replied, "You have to play good cricket for 40 overs to win a match. 20 overs of good cricket will not help you. This has been our story. Injuries to our bowlers didn’t help us either. I was feeling well with every match. I want to score big after getting a start, and this is what I did against RCB... Lots of areas need improvement. I don’t know where the talks will go. The season has just finished, and I don’t want to talk about cricket for a few days. The England tour is coming, and we will have to start preparations for that."

Lucknow Super Giants are playing their last match of the IPL 2025, where they are facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Lucknow in the last league stage game of the tournament on Tuesday evening (May 27). While South African cricketer Aiden Markram is absent from the game, here we are going through the reason for his absence.

Rishabh Pant-led Lucknow Super Giants lost the toss in their last game of the season, while RCB sent them to bat first. Talking about the squad, LSG skipper revealed two changes. While Digvesh Rathi obviously joined the playing squad after completing his one-match suspension, South African Matthew Breetzke replaced his native Aiden Markram for the match. With this match, Breetzke makes his IPL debut.

Aiden Markram is the third leading run-scorer for LSG in the IPL 2025. The right-handed batter scored 445 runs in 13 innings this season with an average of 34.23 and a strike rate of 148.82, including five half-centuries, the joint second most 50+ scores for the team this season. He smashed 38 fours and 22 sixes this season, the third most sixes by a LSG batter in the IPL 2025. Moreover, Markram has also taken four wickets this IPL season. 

See Also: IPL 2025: Why are Tim David and Lungi Ngidi not playing in today's LSG vs RCB clash?

Why is Aiden Markram not playing today?

Due to his national duty, Markram has left his IPL franchise and is ready to join the national team. Markram is one of the important players for South Africa, who will face the defending champions Australia in the upcoming third ICC World Test Championship Final. 

IPL 2025, LSG vs RCB: Still an important match for RCB

As LSG have already been eliminated from the tournament, there is no replacement requirement for Markram. It is still an important match for LSG, just like RCB, who are battling to secure the top-two finish in the IPL 2025 points table. Before the match, LSG are in the seventh position in the points table with 12 points in 13 games. By ending the season with a victory, LSG will finish the season in the sixth position after surpassing the IPL 2024 runners-up SunRisers Hyderabad (13 points in 14 matches). 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is set to face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, the home ground of LSG. Both teams have enough time for preparations for the contest.

RCB has already reached the playoffs, and Lucknow Super Giants were knocked out early from the tournament, which can make the match less interesting for cricket fans. For cricketers of both teams, they can find it a little difficult to maintain their focus.

Though, in a professional career, players step into a field with only one goal: win the competition. So both teams will push for a win, especially LSG, as a match is set to be staged at their home ground, and they have nothing to lose. With a solid team, they can prepare best for a final bite.

Read More: [WATCH] IPL 2025: Ayush Mhatre takes brilliant catch to dismiss Sherfane Rutherford in GT vs CSK clash

On the other side, RCB lost their last match at Ekana Cricket Stadium, looking to regain their momentum before the playoff stage lit up. Recently a video has surfaced on the internet where we can see Lucknow Super Giants' Zaheer Khan and Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli having a cute chat together.

A conversation of two fathers

As we know, Zaheer Khan and Sagarika Ghatge welcomed their first child, a son, on April 16, 2025, and named him Fatehsinh Khan. During the training session, Zaheer was on his phone showing his son's photo to Virat. 

Virat was literally amazed to see such an innocent face. Like a regular Indian man, Kohli asked Zaheer, Does Fatehsinh's face look like his father or mother? What the former India pacer replied is not yet clear. Then again, Virat said, Fatehsinh's eyes are just like Zaheer's. 

Watch the sweet moment here

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Indian Cricket Team 🔵 (@indiacricket.fc)

Before their last match of the season, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) showed their true colors. Today (May 22), against Gujarat Titans (GT), one of the leading teams in this edition of the Indian Premier League, LSG batters showed their full potential and destroyed GT’s entire bowling attack like they were not even at the same level.

LSG, already out of the playoffs contention, stepped into Narendra Modi Stadium without anything in their bags to lose. Batters performed, swinging blades without any second opinion in mind, and the result was 235/2 in the 20-over limit.

Lucknow skipper Rishabh Pant has joined the team with a record-breaking fee from the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, but the India batter couldn’t justify the price tag with his talent. Pant’s off-form caused worries among Indian cricket fans as well, because after the conclusion of the ongoing IPL, Team India will fly to England for a 5-match Test series.

Read More:  WATCH: Nicholas Pooran and Mohammad Siraj get involved in verbal alteration in GT vs LSG clash

Pant perfectly executed his trademark flick for a 6

The wicketkeeper-batter is known for his fearless approach during his batting, even in overseas conditions, but he will need enough confidence for executions. With the kind of form he has been going through in the IPL, Indian cricket fans have enough reasons to worry. But like his team (LSG), the captain also showed what he can do in his days.

Pant against Gujarat Titans played an impactful 6-ball cameo, where he got an unbeaten 16 with a 266.67 strike rate, powered by 2 maximums. The southpaw played his trademark no-look flick shot for an over-boundary, which will definitely provide him some much-needed confidence before their upcoming match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which will be the last game of the season for LSG.

Watch the amazing shot here

RP™️ 🚀pic.twitter.com/bGSm0jAvx5

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) May 22, 2025

Newbie spinner Digvesh Rathi has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) spinner is set to miss the IPL 2025 match as he has been handed a suspension for breaking the tournament's code of conduct for his infamous 'notebook celebration.'

Along with the suspension, Rathi was asked to submit 50% of his match fees, which is INR 3.75 lakh. So far in the 2025 Indian Premier League, the aggressive bowler has coped with penalties in three different matches; the latest one was during LSG vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). 

Here is the list of matches when Rathi was penalized: 

• 50% penalty + 1 match suspension, LSG vs. SRH, May 19

Rathi suffered this penalty and suspension for a heated moment with SRH batter Abhishek Sharma. Sharma played a match-winning innings but fell short against Digvesh. Rathi, naturally aggressive in nature, ignited a serious moment with the opposing team's batter. The situation so intended that BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla rushed to the spot to cool down both players. 

Read More: Big Breaking: BCCI confirms venues for IPL 2025 Final and playoff, Surprise picks

• Fined 50%, LSG vs. Mumbai Indians (MI), April 4

After dismissing Naman Dhir, Rathi pulled out his controversial notebook celebration again, which cost him a 50% penalty for breaking the code of conduct. In a high-scoring and exciting match, Dhir (46) became a headache for LSG. Rathi took his wicket at the right time and contributed to a winning cause. LSG, batting first and scoring 203, won the match by 12 runs. 

• Fined 25% vs. Punjab Kings (PBKS), April 1

Again a big fish on Digvesh Rathi's wave, this time Priyansh Arya, who made a destructive century in IPL 2025. The spinner picked up Arya early in the match and performed the 'notebook celebration.' Rathi's effort proved no effect, as PBKS successfully chased down Lucknow Super Giants' 171. 

With the IPL 2025 continuing from Saturday, 17th May, after a short suspension due to the military rift between India and Pakistan, seven franchises are still in the pool for the playoff spots. This pause and the forthcoming restart have led to a revised schedule of remaining fixtures. The timetable for the pending 17 matches has been communicated to all the teams, and the games have been shifted to just six venues, making it a hectic ten odd days ahead until the final day on the 3rd of June. Questions loom large on the balance of the squads, considering players' availability, their form, and international commitments. 

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), led by India's talismanic wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant, have had a topsy-turvy season so far. They have failed to click as a unit on the majority of the occasions, and their skipper has not yet come into form. Nicholas Pooran, on whose batting prowess LSG managed to win their initial games, has unfortunately lost form too. With a top-heavy side, LSG need to rely on their Indian crop of batters more than ever. Their bowling has been good and needs to continue from where they left off. It'll be interesting to see if this break brings any reversal of poor form for the Sanjeev Goenka-owned team. 

See Also: IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians sign in Sri Lankan all rounder for remainder of tournament

LSG’s Qualification scenario for IPL 2025 Playoffs.

Matches Played: 11, Points: 10, NRR: -0.469

Upcoming Matches: Home – SRH (19^th May), RCB (27^th May); Away – GT (22^nd May)

Best Possible Finish: 16 points

 The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are struggling for momentum, having lost three in a row and four of their last five fixtures. The best they can do now is win the three remaining matches, finish on their maximum possible 16 points, and hope that one or more of the in-form teams suffer a sudden reversal of fortunes. If they lose another match, though, they will be eliminated.

They first play at home against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and would hope for a victory there. Their next and the last couple of league matches seem tough as they are against the in-form teams of the current season - Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT). It would be tough to gather points in them. Their terrible Net Run Rate (NRR) of -0.469 doesn't help their cause either.

Mayank Yadav again ruled out owning a back injury from the remainder of IPL 2025. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) cashed in INR 3 crores to bring New Zealand international Will O'Rourke as his replacement.

Before ruling out of the tournament, Yadav was able to play only 2 matches for him. Due to injury concerns, the Indian pace sensation missed the entire initial half of the league, and after making a comeback against Punjab Kings, he took a couple of wickets in exchange for 40 matches.

In the following match, Yadav's performance was below average, spending a whopping 60 runs in his 4-over limit without taking any scalp. That was one of the most expensive bowling figures as an LSG bowler. Overall, the 22-year-old has played only two games, picking up two wickets at an expensive economy rate of 12.50.

Fast and Furious! Kiwi pacer Will O’Rourke joins the Super Giants family! 💙

He replaces Mayank Yadav who is set to miss the rest of the season due to injury. pic.twitter.com/Gq8YKY8oTs

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) May 15, 2025

Read More: Virat Kohli’s Retirement: The Last Spark of a Generation’s Cricket Passion Ends

A series of injuries for Mayank Yadav 

Before the IPL 2025, Mayank was going through a recovery session at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Centre of Excellence and then joined the LSG camp on April 16. After sustaining a back injury, his recovery was further detailed for a toe injury. Even in the 2024 edition of the IPL, he participated only in four contests and then was ruled out due to a side strain. 

"Lucknow Super Giants have roped in New Zealand pacer William O'Rourke as an injury replacement for Mayank Yadav. Yadav sustained a back injury and is ruled out for the remainder of the season. William O'Rourke will join the squad at a reserve price of 3 crore," the IPL said in a statement.