Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant with teammates (PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan) Former India batsman Abhinav Mukund has questioned the direction and team structure of Lucknow Super Giants following their defeat by Delhi Capitals and pointed to a lack of clarity on how the side is shaping up in IPL 2026.The criticism followed a convincing six-wicket win for Delhi, powered by Sameer Rizvi’s unbeaten 70 and his decisive 119-run partnership with Tristan Stubbs, which took the game away from LSG at the Ekana Stadium.
Watch
Mukul Choudhary on LSG’s game plan: foster partnership and stay fearless Mukund admitted that he remains unconvinced about Lucknow’s identity as a team, especially compared to other relatively new franchises. “I am not very sure about LSG. They are a very young side in the IPL. So are Gujarat Titans who are slowly building an identity towards who they are. They may have lost their first game (in 2026) but you know what Gujarat Titans will come up with on a given day.“They are top class. They rely on their bowlers. They rely on their experience in the middle for their spinners. You always feel with Lucknow that there is no identity in the team,” he told ESPNCricinfo.He further highlighted what he sees as the key difference between the two parties. While Gujarat Titans have created a clear approach based on their bowling strength and spin resources, Mukund believes that Lucknow continues to lack a defined style of play.According to him, LSG’s performances often depend on moments of individual brilliance rather than a structured system. “You expect performances from the top, you expect a sudden performance like when Mark Wood sometimes comes on and takes five wickets. You want those individual brilliant performances to drive your team. It’s always been that way for Lucknow.”Mukund also expressed concerns about the team’s balance and selection decisions in the match. “Even today, I felt the balance of the team was pretty off, seven batsmen and four bowlers. And then you had to sacrifice your find from last season. I know he might not have followed that up with a great home season. He wasn’t among the wickets.”
Vote
Do you think Lucknow Super Giants have a clear identity as a team?
“He didn’t have a great domestic season, but that doesn’t mean you dropped Ravi Bishnoi, it means you trusted Digvesh Rathi and said ‘okay, you’re number one for me and you’re not playing him in the first game,'” he noted.With LSG already facing questions after their opening defeat, Mukunda’s remarks highlight growing concerns about the team’s balance, selection clarity and overall identity at the start of the season.
