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Former Australia Head Coach and the current Head Coach of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Lucknow Super Giants, Justin Langer recently revealled his equation with star Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant. It is to be noted that Pant and Langer are set to feature in the same franchise in IPL 2025 after the Lucknow Super Giants acquired his services for record-breaking INR 27 Crore.
Pant, who has been a star for the Indian cricket team and stood out the last time they toured Australia, he became the most expensive player to be bought in the IPL auction after LSG signed him at the mega auction on November 24 in Jeddah. During Langer’s commentary stint on Day 1 of the ongoing pink-ball Test, the fomer cricketer revealled how Pant is his “favourite person” from being his “nemesis” at a time.
Rishabh Pant haunted me in last two series but now he’s my mate: Justin Langer
With Pant being the front-runner alongside the likes of Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh to lead LSG in IPL 2025, Justin Langer is looking forward on closely working with the star Indian batter. Speaking on Day 1 during the pink-ball Test, Langer revealed that Pant haunted him with his knocks on previous tours of Australia, but added that he is his favourite person now. “Rishabh Pant has haunted me for the most from the last two series. Now a week ago, I hope he’s my favourite person in the world with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) picking him. Now he’s my mate not my nemesis,” Justin Langer said.
Watch Justin Langer speak about Rishabh Pant during pink-ball Test:
It is to be noted that Pant played crucial knocks on his previous tour of Australia in 2020-21. The southpaw scored a magnificent 96 on Day 5 of the third Test in Sydney which kept India in the hunt of their target. However, they managed to draw the series, keeping them in the race to continue their domination in BGT heading into the Gabba Test.
Speaking of the ongoing tour down under, Pant is yet to make a mark with the bat as he registered scores of 37 (58) and 1 (4) in the first Test in Perth and went on to score 21 off 35 deliveries in the first India innings in the Adelaide Test on Friday, December 6.
