Star Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has stepped down as captain of Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The Lucknow-based franchise announced on Friday (May 29) that the 28-year-old left-handed batter requested to be relieved of captaincy duties following the team’s disappointing 10th-place finish in IPL 2026. The franchise confirmed that his request had been accepted with immediate effect.
In an official statement, LSG said, “Lucknow Super Giants wish to formally announce that Rishabh Pant has requested to be relieved of his captaincy duties with the franchise, and the franchise has accepted his request with immediate effect.”
LSG Director of Cricket Tom Moody said the decision was taken after discussions with Pant.
“Rishabh approached the franchise with this request and we have respectfully accepted it. These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for everything Rishabh has brought to the dressing room as captain. Our focus now is on rebuilding and restructuring the team to achieve the highest standards,” Moody stated.
Pant’s Captaincy Record
Rishabh Pant was bought by Lucknow Super Giants for a record ₹27 crore during the IPL 2025 mega auction held in Jeddah and was appointed captain ahead of the 2025 season.
However, his first season as skipper proved underwhelming, with LSG managing to win only six of their 14 league-stage matches. Pant also struggled with the bat, scoring 269 runs in 13 innings.
Despite missing out on the playoffs, he retained the captaincy for IPL 2026. But the team’s performance declined further, with LSG winning only four out of 14 league matches to finish at the bottom of the table.
Pant’s individual performance also remained below expectations, as he scored 312 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 138.05.
Who Could Replace Pant?
South African T20I captain Aiden Markram and Australian T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh are currently seen as the leading contenders to take over the captaincy role at LSG.
Apart from them, the franchise could also consider Nicholas Pooran or Josh Inglis for the leadership position. Pooran has previously captained the West Indies in T20Is and currently leads MI New York in Major League Cricket, while Inglis has also captained Australia in the shortest format on multiple occasions.