Lucknow back Pant as IPL leader despite batting flop

Lucknow Super Giants have given their backing to skipper Rishabh Pant to lead them to glory in the Indian Premier League despite the swashbuckling left-hander's struggles with the bat.

Pant's Lucknow went down to Mumbai Indians on Sunday for their fifth defeat in this edition of the T20 tournament, with 46 out of 74 matches played.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant was snapped up by Lucknow for a record price of $3.21 million in the November auction and later appointed captain ahead of the 18th season.

But Pant has managed just 110 runs from nine innings.

His poor batting form coincides with Lucknow's patchy run in the league as they are placed sixth after 10 matches.

However, team mentor Zaheer Khan praised Pant's leadership in the 10-team tournament, where top four teams will move into the play-offs.

"He's been fantastic as a leader, that's something which I can vouch for," Zaheer said after the team's 54-run loss to Mumbai.

"The kind of efforts he's been taking to make sure that each individual in that group is comfortable, is heard, and the planning to do everything which goes around in IPL, he's being spot on."

Former India pace bowler Zaheer added that the team's middle order is "dependent on Rishabh", and remained sure he will provide the runs that are needed.

"I'm very confident that the impact, which we want from him, will come," he added. "It's just about something clicking – so I wouldn't relate it to pressure."

Pant's batting flop extended to Lucknow's 10th match when he attempted a reverse sweep off England spinner Will Jacks and got caught out at short thirdman for four.

Lucknow were bowled out for 161 in their chase of 216.

Pant said he had been "keeping it very simple", but was trying to remain focused on the matches ahead and "not thinking" about his past form.

"In a season like this, where things are not going your way, you're going to start questioning yourself as a player – and that is something you don't want to do," he said.

India's spin great Anil Kumble said pressure of Pant's price tag was weighing heavy on the flamboyant batsman.

"There's a lot of expectations on him as a captain, as a leader, and he was bought at the maximum price at the auction," said Kumble.

"All of these are probably going through his mind," he added. "The last thing that you want is all of this – you want to shut all of that out, focus on the white ball that's coming out at him, and that's all he needs to do."