Rishabh Pant has stepped down as the captain of Lucknow Super Giants, LSG said on Friday, after a disastrous Indian Premier League season where the team finished at the bottom of the points table.
LSG managed just four wins from 14 league games. Not only did Pant struggle to steer the team, his form with the bat also took a hit as he could only score 312 runs.
Pant's post-match interview after LSG's defeat against Rajasthan Royals, where he used inappropriate language during the live broadcast also put the team in an awkward situation.
Official announcement. pic.twitter.com/7WeOwpkDr6
— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) May 29, 2026
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The 28-year-old was made the skipper of the team at the beginning of the 2025 season after he was bought at the auction for Rs 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in the league's history. The move did not work both for the team and the player. While the team finished seventh, thereby failing to qualify for the playoffs, Pant could only score 269 runs from 14 innings, his lowest return in the league since 2016 season, when he made his debut and scored 198 runs in 10 innings for his former side Delhi Capitals.
Pant started playing in the IPL when he was signed by Delhi Capitals at the 2016 IPL auction A fearless left-handed wicketkeeper-batter, Pant quickly built a reputation for his aggressive strokeplay and attacking mindset. His finest IPL campaign with the bat came in 2018, when he amassed 684 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 173.60.
Pant made an emotional return to the IPL in 2024 after recovering from the serious injuries he sustained in a near-fatal car accident in December 2022. Reappointed captain of Delhi Capitals, he rediscovered his form by scoring 446 runs despite another underwhelming season for the franchise.
Delhi did not retain him after the 2024 IPL and he was subsequently moved to LSG. In all the left-handed wicket-keeper batter has played 139 IPL games, scored 3,865 runs at an average of 33.60 and a strike rate of 146.79 and a highest score of 128 not out. As a wicket-keeper he has been involved in 90 catches and 24 stumpings.
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