‘Why such craze?’: Former IPL star confused over Pant’s Rs 27.5 cr price tag

New Delhi: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Captain Ritha Pantperformance and large-scale intense pulsed light His price tag is under scrutiny after a disappointing season in which he struggled to maintain consistency as the team missed the playoffs. The wicketkeeper-batsman, bought for a record Rs 2,750 crore, has now been urged to rethink his approach as he aims to make a comeback in India’s white-ball format.Former South Africa captain speaks on Star Sports Fife du Plessis Criticizing Pant for lacking a clear game plan, he said: “Even his approach in Test cricket looks all over the place. “But there must be something in his head that tells me that this is the blueprint I want to use in Test cricket. It’s the same in T20 cricket. Just figuring out what your game plan looks like gives yourself the best chance of not being 1 or 2 out of 10 players but being 60 to 70 per cent of the players so you can maintain consistency.”He added that Pant seemed overwhelmed by the plethora of shot options: “At the end of the day, he has so many options in his head. It feels like he can score six every ball… But even in T20 batting, you still need an approach… With Pant, you feel like he’s always on the edge.”Du Plessis also questioned Pant’s huge auction value despite the modest T20 numbers. He added, “You look at a player like Pant at the auction and you ask why there is such a craze for someone like him… If you look at his T20 numbers, you will see that they are not that good. So why are people so obsessed with him?” Pant scored just 269 runs last season at an average of 24.45, his lowest score in IPL history, raising concerns over whether he lived up to expectations.