India, April 20 -- Rishabh Pant is a mad batter. Probably the maddest India has seen. A batter who looks to take on the bowlers at every given opportunity; a batter who is always going for a win; a batter who will shock you not just with his choice of stroke but also his audacity.

We've seen Pant get out to a 'stupid' shot (as Gavaskar put it recently in Australia) many times but we've still let it pass because this is Pant - a batter who will win matches when he gets going. His batting was always a double-edged sword and the risk was integral to the glory.

But IPL 2025 has seen Pant abandon the madness. He looks normal. He looks ordinary. And that can never be fun. In 8 games this season for the Lucknow Super Giants, the left-hander ha...