Rishabh Pant has hinted at a continued role in Lucknow Super Giants’ top-order despite an unfortunate dismissal in their IPL 2026 opener against Delhi Capitals.
Pant, who went to open alongside Mitchell Marsh, looked positive initially but suffered a bizarre dropout. A straight drive from Marsh bounced off Mukesh Kumar’s hand onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end to cut Pant’s stay to seven from nine balls.
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Reflecting on the suspension after the match, Pant said that persisting at such times would only hurt the team.
“I think the best way to recover from it is to ignore it. You can’t control something like that and thinking about it puts you on the back foot,” he said.
PANT EYES TOP ORDER ROLE
While Pant kept his cards close on whether he would continue as an opener, he made it clear that his place would be in the top order.
“I think it’s 50-50, but we’ll see. But you’ll definitely see me in the top order,” he said.
Pant also shed light on the tactical thinking behind the reshuffling of the batting order. He confirmed that Nicholas Pooran has been moved off the top to take charge in the middle overs while LSG will explore a left-right combination at the top.
“The idea was simple. Pooran takes the lead in the middle game. I’m sending the order and we wanted a left-right option so they can’t bowl left-handed early,” explained Pant.
He added that Ayush Badoni’s promotion was also part of the defined role, especially in situations where wickets are falling early and stability is needed.
LSG SHORT OVER FIGHT
LSG’s experiment at the top didn’t pay off as they were bowled out for 141 in 18.4 overs. Abdul Samad top-scored with 36 while Marsh contributed 35 but the hosts failed to build substantial partnerships.
Pant admitted that batting on a good surface limited them.
“When you score 140, you’re not really going to put the opposition under pressure, especially if it’s a good wicket,” he said.
Chasing the target comfortably, Delhi Capitals reached 145 for 4 in 17.1 overs. Sameer Rizvi led the charge with an unbeaten 70 while Tristan Stubbs added a steady 39 but was not out.
Despite the lossPant found positives in the bowling effort and fight shown by his side. However, he also admitted that giving up extras and not capitalizing on key moments proved costly.
For LSG, the focus now shifts to finding the right balance up top, with Pant’s role remaining a key talking point in the coming games.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
02 Apr 2026 04:00 IST
