IPL 2026: Rishabh Pant steps down as captain of Lucknow Super Giants

Lucknow Super Giants have officially confirmed that Rishabh Pant has stepped down as the captain of the franchise with immediate effect. The development comes after Pant was named captain following his record-breaking move to the franchise in the IPL mega auction, captaining the side for two seasons.In an official statement issued by the franchise, LSG said that Pant himself had requested to be relieved of his leadership responsibilities and the management had accepted the decision.

contribution by LSG

“Rishabh Pant has requested to be relieved of his captaincy duties with the franchise and the franchise has accepted his request with immediate effect,” the statement said.LSG Director of Cricket Tom Moody also addressed the situation and admitted that such calls are never easy for either the players or the management.“Rishabh approached the franchise with this request and we respectfully accepted it. These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for all that Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as captain. Our focus now is on the collective – rebuilding and restructuring to achieve the best standards possible,” said Moody.Pant entered the IPL mega auction as one of the biggest names available and ended up becoming the most expensive player in the history of IPL auctions after LSG secured him for a staggering Rs 27 crore.However, the performances did not meet the expectations of both the batsman and the captain. In IPL 2025, LSG finished seventh in the points table under Pant, while the wicketkeeper-batsman endured disappointment with the bat. Pant scored 269 runs at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate of 133.17 that season. His unbeaten 118 against RCB in LSG’s last league match was the only major highlight in an otherwise underwhelming season.The struggles continued in IPL 2026 as LSG finished bottom of the table under Pant. Pant again failed to produce consistent performances with the bat, managing 312 runs in 14 matches at an average of 28.36 and a strike rate of 138.05, with only one fifty-plus score in the entire season.