Rishabh Pant Resigns: In a move that could be said to be on expected lines, Rishabh Pant has tendered his resignation as the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) even while the tournament is still going on.
For the second consecutive season, LSG endured a league stage exit under Pant’s captaincy. In IPL 2026, LSG finished with the wooden spoon in the 10th position, having managed only four wins in 14 matches.
On Friday, LSG announced on their official social media handles that Pant had “requested to be relieved of his captaincy duties” and that LSG had “accepted his request with immediate effect.”
Tom Moody, the LSG Director of Cricket, made a comment in the official statement, saying, “Rishabh approached the franchisee with this request and we have respectfully accepted it. These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for everything Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as captain. Our focus now is on the collective – rebuilding and restructuring to reach the best standards.”
Rishabh Pant Resigns As LSG Captain After Flop Show In IPL 2026
How did LSG perform under Pant, and how did he fare as a batsman?
Pant was bought by LSG in the mega auction two years ago for INR 27 crore, becoming the most expensive player in IPL history. He was made the new LSG skipper, with KL Rahul being bought by Delhi Capitals, incidentally Pant’s former IPL franchise, in the mega auction.
However, the Pant-LSG pairing hasn’t worked well yet. In IPL 2025, LSG finished in the 7th position on the points table, and in IPL 2026, they languished at the bottom.
Pant’s own batting form has been a huge concern: in IPL 2025, Pant scored 269 runs at a strike rate of 133, and this year, he managed 312 runs at a strike rate of 138.
The southpaw has also lost his vice-captaincy of the Indian Test team and has been dropped from India’s ODI squad.
Even before Pant’s official resignation, Moody had hinted at a change in the leadership, opining that Pant’s dip in batting form could be influenced by captaincy pressure.
Moody had said: “You do have to wonder whether that is a pressure that is reflected with his performance with the bat. I know that this season has been a difficult season for us, but we will reflect on it, we’ll take time, we’ll reflect on it. We’ll consider all things.”
Among the options in LSG’s squad for a new captain are Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Pooran.
Marsh, who is the Australian T20I skipper and ODI vice-captain, would be the frontrunner for the job; however, he has mostly played as an Impact Player in the last two seasons, while Markram will have a strong claim as well, having successfully led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to two SA20 trophies and South Africa to a T20 World Cup final and a semi-final.
Will LSG release Rishabh Pant?
It is also possible that LSG might release Pant in the auction and look to buy him back for a cheaper price than his current contract of INR 27 crore.
Moody said on ESPNcricinfo, “It’s going to take a long time for us to debrief, review the whole squad. (We need to see) what are we looking to do, what brand of cricket are we wanting to play, and who’s going to be playing those roles moving forward.”
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