Rishabh Pant’s form in IPL 2026 has come under the scanner, with Lucknow Super Giants looking to reverse the results. But head coach Justin Langer has firmly backed his captain, quashing any talk of the pressure of his price tag.
Speak after LSG’s loss to Mumbai Indians on 4 MayLanger defended Pant’s decision and form even as questions grew over his batting position and returns this season.
MI vs LSG: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
“Honestly, I don’t think money has anything to do with it; I don’t think it has anything to do with it at all. I think management is a tough position, you have a lot of pressure on you and he knows that.”
“He’s got a lot of pressure on the team and he does it, like all of us, with a smile on his face 98% of the time. The other 2% of the time it’s tough. But he’s gritty, he works hard and as I say, he had a match-winner at the start of the season. We love to see him play out wide and play that swash style.”
Pant’s role in the eleven was also in the spotlight. He dropped to number four against MI and promoted Josh Inglis to open up a spot alongside Mitchell Marsh, with Nicholas Pooran moving to number three in what the coach described as “selfless”.
HOW WAS RISHABH PANT’S FORM IN IPL 2026?
The numbers tell the story.
Pant has scored 204 runs in nine innings this season at an average of 24.50 with a strike rate of 128.30. For a player who is expected to anchor and accelerate in the middle overs, these returns seemed to be overwhelming.
The bigger concern was the formula. The starts came, but the big innings didn’t. Against MI, Pant came through again but couldn’t make it, scoring 15 off 10 balls before falling at a time when LSG needed a check.
“He’s a very good player; we know that. We’ve seen him destroy teams at number five in Test cricket and we felt today, given that and the way he played just two days ago after a seven-day break, that he could be a good option for the team,” added Langer.
At the same time, Langer pointed to signs of a return to rhythm, revealing that Pant hit 95 in a recent session, suggesting that form may not be far off.
HOW DID LSG GO FOR ME
The match itself summed up LSG’s season. They started strongly, with Pooran smashing 63 off just 21 balls and Marsh adding 44 off 25 as LSG passed 120 in eight overs. At that stage the total looked like 230 or more.
But a quick collapse changed things. Corbin Bosch removed both Pooran and Marsh and LSG slipped from 123 for 1 to 160 for 5. A late unbeaten 68-run stand between Aiden Markram and Himmat Singh took them to 228 for 5.
It still wasn’t enough.
MI’s chase was built on a dominant 143-run opening stand between Rohit Sharma (84 off 44) and Ryan Rickelton (83 off 32) which effectively took the game away early.
Even a brief wobble in the middle overs did not derail them. Naman Dhir’s quick-fire 23 not out and a finishing six from Will Jacks sealed the eight-ball chase.
It was a much needed win for MI. The pressure continues to mount for LSG and Pant.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
05 May 2026 10:16 IST
