New Delhi [India], May 22 (ANI): Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant gave a fitting reply to reports indicating his exit from the franchise following an abysmal run in the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Lucknow was wobbling in the must-win territory to keep their bleak playoff hope alive before squaring off against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their home den at the Ekana Stadium earlier this week. A victory would have kept them in the mix by a thread, while a defeat ensured their campaign was doomed to end in the group stage.

The Super Giants were outwitted across all spectrums and saw their run in the cash-rich league end on a bitter note, after Sunrisers gunned down the 206-run target and stood triumphant with a six-wicket win.

Shrouded in criticism, Pant's individual run resonated with Lucknow's scratchy campaign. Days after LSG's exit, reports started to surface about the franchise's likely intentions to release their extravagant Rs 27 crore signing ahead of the next season.

Pant debunked the reports, classified them 'fake' in his no-nonsense reply and wrote on X, 'I understand fake News gives more traction. To content but let's not built everything around it. Little sense and credible news will help more rather making fake news with an agenda. Thanks have a good day. Let's be responsible and sensible what we put out on social media.'

After being dropped from India's ODI XI during the Men in Blue's successful run in the Champions Trophy-winning campaign, the ongoing edition of the IPL was supposed to mark a new beginning for Pant. However, the 27-year-old's season was riddled with low scores.

In 12 appearances, Pant laboured to muster up 135 runs at a scrappy average of 12.27 while barely managing to maintain a strike rate of 100. In the do-or-die clash for Lucknow, Pant returned cheaply for 7(6) after chipping the ball back into the hands of Eshan Malinga.

In his scratchy season, the misfiring explosive southpaw's best came against the beleaguered Chennai Super Kings, a fixture where he racked up 63 from 49 deliveries. (ANI)