Rishabh Pant’s drop in T20s (Photo: Screengrab/X) Rishabh Pant finally gave Lucknow Super Giants something to cheer about on Thursday night, remaining unbeaten on 32 off 10 balls as LSG defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by nine runs via the DLS method in Lucknow in the 49th match of IPL 2026. While Mitchell Marsh’s blistering 111 and 338 powered Pooran’s 111 and Nicholas Pooran’s late. the cameo provided the finishing touches to a much-needed victory for a side whose IPL 2026 campaign has otherwise taken a bad turn.Still, despite the relief of snapping a six-game winless streak, Pant’s season has been erratic at best and in many ways similar to the trajectory of his career over the past few years — flashes of brilliance mixed with lingering inconsistency.Pant arrived in the IPL in 2016 and carried the reputation of a fearless six-hitter destined to dominate T20 cricket. Back then, there was much more doubt about whether his aggressive style would survive the demands of Test cricket. Ten years later, however, the scenario has dramatically reversed.Today, Pant is regarded as one of India’s greatest match-winners in Test cricket, producing memorable knocks overseas and redefining the role of wicketkeeper-batsman in the longest format. But in white-ball cricket, especially T20, inconsistency is becoming more and more of a problem.
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Rishabh Pant’s declining T20 numbers
His breakthrough IPL season came in 2018 when he dismantled the bowling attack for Delhi Capitals, scoring 684 runs in 14 innings at an average of 52.61 and a strike tally of over 173, including a century and five fifties. It was a season that convinced many that Indian cricket had found its next big T20 superstar.But despite occasional flashes over the years, Pant never crossed the 500-run mark in an IPL season again. Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, Lucknow Super Giants bought him for a staggering Rs 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history.The struggles have become even more evident in IPL 2026, with LSG enduring a disastrous campaign. Although Thursday’s win kept their slim play-off hopes alive, Pant’s own form has mirrored the team’s decline for much of the season.In ten matches this season, Pant has scored 236 runs at an average of 29.50 and a strike rate of 139.64. For a batsman once known for his explosive stroke play, the numbers underscore a sharp decline in impact. He hit just 23 fours and nine sixes, while his solitary half-century came in a scrappy, unbeaten 68 against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
How Rishabh Pant’s white-ball career lost steam
Even in innings where Pant has hinted at a rediscovery of his touch, he has struggled to convert starts into match-winning knocks. During LSG’s daunting 255-run chase against Punjab Kings, Pant smashed four sixes, including two remarkable one-handed knocks, before his innings stalled at the crucial stage, finishing on 43 off 23 balls. Against Kolkata Knight Riders, he made 42 off 38 in a modest chase but failed to accelerate as LSG collapsed from 78 for 3 to 148 for 8 before losing in the Super Over.The slump in form isn’t exactly new. Last season, Pant scored 269 runs in 14 matches, with 118 of them coming in a dead rubber against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the last league match. Since the start of 2024, he has averaged just 24.89 at a strike rate of 131.02 in 22 IPL innings.This season alone, Pant has batted in three different positions for LSG – opener, No.3 and No.4 – reflecting uncertainty over his role and form.His struggles in franchise cricket also coincided with a decline in the white ball setup in India. In 76 T20Is, Pant scored 1,209 at an average of 23.25 and a strike rate of just over 127, with only three half-centuries. His ODI numbers are better – 871 runs in 31 matches at an average of 33.50 – but he has not played white-ball cricket for India since the 2024 tour of Sri Lanka.Since then, KL Rahul has cemented his place in India’s ODI side, while Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson have moved forward in the T20 order. Samson, in particular, cemented his position after a sensational T20 World Cup campaign in which he scored 321 runs and won the Player of the Tournament award.
Irfan Pathan on Pant’s poor form and captaincy pressure
Former India all-rounder and JioHotstar pundit Irfan Pathan admitted that Pant’s struggles in the last few seasons have been disappointing, especially given the expectations surrounding him as both a player and a captain.“I think when he became the captain, I had high hopes for him as a cricketer and as a leader. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done that and it hasn’t worked with him for the last couple of seasons,” Irfan said during a media interaction.“As for the pressure, especially with the possibility of him being dropped from the ODI squad, we will know only after this IPL is over. He has a few more games left to get back into form and win matches,” he added.Irfan also pointed out that marquee players are expected to change games on their own, something Pant has struggled to do consistently for LSG despite the huge expectations placed on him.“When you’re a major player, when a franchise spends that kind of money on you in the auction, they expect game-winning performances on their own. That’s why you’re a major player. But that hasn’t happened for Rishabh Pant and he’s under pressure,” he said.“But as far as the ODI squad is concerned, we will know only after the IPL is over. Who knows, he may come back and win two matches from here or his bad form may continue. Both scenarios are possible but I don’t think the selectors will take any decision before the end of the IPL season,” he added.The former India all-rounder also addressed the growing debate over Pant’s captaincy and whether LSG should eventually look at alternative leadership options.“Every player will be under pressure whenever the performances don’t come. In terms of management, I personally feel that if you have Indian options in the playing XI, you should approach them,” explained Irfan.“It’s very difficult to make a decision like that in the middle of a season. It’s not like it’s never happened before. Mumbai Indians did it when they replaced Ricky Ponting with Rohit Sharma and Rohit went on to captain for many years. So the question is whether LSG have an Indian option that can lead for the next few years, at least until the next very big auction. He added that communication with Pant is also important.”Apart from analyzing Pant’s matches, Irfan also spoke about his experience on JioHotstar’s ‘Champions Wali Commentary’, a dedicated Hindi digital channel featuring former IPL champions.“I am really enjoying it and the viewers also get a new perspective. In regular commentary, things move very fast, but the Champions Wali feed moves at its own pace with deeper discussions and more knowledge about cricket,” he said.
