Rishabh Pant has stepped down as Lucknow Super Giants captain with immediate effect. LSG confirmed the news on Friday, May 29, saying they had accepted Pant’s request to be relieved of captaincy duties. The decision follows a disastrous IPL 2026 campaign in which LSG won just four of 14 matches and finished at the bottom of the table.
Lucknow had signed Pant for ₹27 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction — one of the most expensive buys of that cycle. Across two seasons as captain, the returns were slim. In 2025 they won six from 14. In 2026 they won four from 14. Pant’s total as LSG captain: 10 wins from 28 matches, no playoff appearances.
His batting numbers reflected the same downward curve. He scored 269 runs from 14 matches in 2025 and 312 this season — a significant drop from the 446 runs in 13 matches he scored for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, the form that made him worth ₹27 crore to begin with. In 28 matches for LSG, he averaged 26.4 at a strike rate of 135.74 — respectable numbers in isolation, but not what a captain bought at that price is expected to deliver.
What LSG Said
Coach Tom Moody, who had hinted at a leadership reset even before the season ended, kept his statement measured. “Rishabh approached the franchisee with this request and we have respectfully accepted it. These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for everything Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as captain. Our focus now is on the collective — rebuilding and restructuring to reach the best standards,” he said, per India Today.
Lucknow now need a new captain. Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Pooran — all of whom have captained their national sides — are the most obvious candidates within the current squad.
Pant remains at LSG as a player. Whether the captaincy removal resets his batting form, or whether the pressure of leading a struggling side was suppressing it, is the question the next season will answer.
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