Rishabh Pant quits LSG captaincy after IPL 2026: What exactly went wrong?
Rishabh Pant has stepped down as Lucknow Super Giants captain after a disappointing two-year stint in IPL 2026. Bought for INR 27 crore and handed leadership immediately, Pant managed only 10 wins as LSG finished seventh in 2025 and last this season.
Rishabh Pant has stepped down as Lucknow Super Giants captain following the IPL 2026 season. During his two-year stint, LSG failed to secure a playoff berth, managing only 10 wins under his leadership. The franchise finished seventh last season and ended this year at the bottom of the table. He was bought for INR 27 crore and was immediately handed the captaincy baton, but absolutely nothing worked well for the franchise since then.
“Lucknow Super Giants wish to formally announce that Rishabh Pant has requested to be relieved from his captaincy duties with the franchise, and the franchise has accepted the request with immediate effect,” LSG’s statement read.
During his time as captain, Pant has also failed to express himself as a dependable batter. He made 581 runs in 26 matches at a strike rate of 135.74. The keeper-batter tossed himself across positions, but failed to succeed in either of them. His poor captaincy, along with the pressure of the price tag, eventually affected his batting and it resulted in the team failing to even fight for a playoffs spot.
Goenka-Pant factor
On the other hand, there were multiple instances in the 2025 season when team owner Sanjiv Goenka was visibly upset with Pant. He was seen having a heated argument with the cricketer and this year, with the team finishing 10th, the franchise may have also decided to take a fresh route.
The relationship in the earlier days was completely opposite, though. Goenka saw tremendous potential in Pant and believed that he could be the next great IPL captain after Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni.
“According to me, he will play for the next 12-15 years. People say that MI and CSK are more successful. Mahi and Rohit are undeniably brilliant. Mark my words, after 10 years, people will say, Mahi, Rohit and Rishabh,” Goenka told Star Sports.
Who can take up the captaincy?
After Pant, either of Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, or Nicholas Pooran can take over the captaincy role. The South Africa international must be the favourite, given that he leads the Durban Super Giants in SA20.
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