When Rishabh Pant was snapped up by Lucknow Super Giants for a record-breaking fee at the IPL mega auction, franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka made his vision clear—build a legacy and deliver titles. Pant was entrusted with leadership, seen as the face of a long-term project. However, just over a season into that journey, questions are beginning to surface.
With LSG struggling near the bottom of the IPL 2026 points table, former India cricketers Manoj Tiwary and Rohan Gavaskar have suggested that the franchise may need to rethink Pant’s role as captain. LSG finished seventh in Pant’s debut season as skipper, and the current campaign hasn’t offered much improvement.
With only two wins from nine matches, the team has lacked consistency, and Pant’s own form with the bat has mirrored that dip. He has managed 204 runs at a strike rate of 128.30—numbers that fall short of expectations for a player of his calibre. Sunil Gavaskar believes the solution could lie in freeing Pant from leadership duties to help him rediscover his natural game.
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“Sanjiv Goenka spoke about building a legacy with Pant for the next 10–15 years. That’s the long-term vision,” Sunil Gavaskar said. “But sometimes, you need to take a player out of the firing line. The team might benefit more if he focuses purely on batting.”
The concern isn’t just about numbers—it’s about the visible pressure. Captaining a struggling side often amplifies scrutiny, and Pant appears to be carrying that weight. Gavaskar pointed out that when results don’t go your way, leadership can become mentally taxing, impacting decision-making as well as performance.
Tiwary echoed a similar sentiment, stressing that LSG might be losing Pant the batter while trying to maximise Pant the captain.
“We are losing his batting because of the pressure of captaincy,” Manoj Tiwary said. “He has proven himself at the highest level, but the consistency isn’t there right now. A player of his quality should be delivering more regularly.”
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He added that relieving Pant of captaincy could unlock his full potential again—something LSG desperately need as they look to turn their campaign around. For now, the franchise continues to back its skipper. But if results don’t improve, the debate around Pant’s dual role is only going to get louder as IPL 2026 progresses.
