LUCKNOW, May 27 -- With Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) set to play their final league match of the IPL season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Tuesday, pacer Akash Deep on Monday said that skipper Rishabh Pant's subdued performance reflected a tough phase in his tournament. "I don't feel that Pant has any pressure, but it's true that he is going through a bad time and that's why he couldn't perform up to his real potential," said Akash Deep on Monday. Pant's form has come under scrutiny as LSG failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Pant, who returned to competitive cricket this season after recovering from a life-threatening car accident in December 2022, led the side but struggled to produce consistent results with the bat, and his team's campaign fell short. In 13 matches this season, he scored only 151 runs, averaging 13.73 with a strike rate of 107.09. Akash Deep also pointed to early injuries in the bowling unit as a major setback that hampered the team's momentum. "Injury to the bowlers at the start of the season was the biggest reason for our team's poor show. Even for me, it was difficult to come back and play with the same spirit," he said. LSG, despite flashes of brilliance in some matches, couldn't build sustained momentum and missed out on playoff qualification. Part of the Indian squad for the upcoming Test series against England, Akash Deep, who has 15 wickets in as many as seven Test matches so far, admitted that switching formats remains physically demanding for bowlers. "Cricket is too much now and one has to remain physically and mentally fit throughout the season. In IPL, I bowl four overs in a game, but in red-ball cricket, I might have to bowl 20 overs in a day," he said, adding that he has already increased his bowling workload in preparation for the longer format. The pacer praised LSG batter Nicholas Pooran for his consistent contributions. "Pooran has been an important person in LSG's success. Rivals plan for him, but he knows his job well," said Akash Deep. On the other side, RCB's spin bowling coach S Sridharan Rangarajan said the team was focused on maintaining its rhythm heading into the playoffs. "Carrying on winning momentum is a must for the side even in the playoffs. We lost our last game after a long break, and that had a lot to do with being a bit rusty," he said. Rangarajan noted the team is not taking LSG lightly despite having already qualified for the knockout phase. "We're looking forward to the game tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Ekana Stadium. Once that's done, we'll shift focus to the playoff fixtures." On Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood's return, Rangarajan said he remains a key part of RCB's plans, though others have stepped up in his absence. "There's no doubt about how good Hazlewood is and what impact he brings. But it's also important to remember that we've played two games without him, won one, lost another," he said. "Lungi Ngidi has done well, and Nuwan Thushara is also waiting for his chance."...