IPL 2026: Was Lucknow Super Giants going to release Rishabh Pant? Crisis deepens on 27 crore captain

News India Live, Digital Desk: Before the start of IPL 2026, a news is coming from the city of Nawabs, Lucknow, which has created a stir in the cricket circles. According to reports, the management of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had seriously considered releasing their captain Rishabh Pant after his poor performance last season. Pant, who was bought for a record-breaking price of ₹ 27 crore in the 2025 mega auction, did not live up to the expectations, after which there was a long discussion between the franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka and the team management regarding his future. Why was the talk of release raised? These were the 3 main reasons for the flop show in batting: In the last season (IPL 2025), Pant scored only 269 runs in 14 matches. His average (24.45) and strike rate (133.17) were very ordinary compared to his huge price. Questions on captaincy: Under Pant’s captaincy, the team was out of the race for the playoffs last year and was ranked seventh in the points table. Some of his tactical decisions on the field were also severely criticized. Pressure and price tag: The burden of ₹27 crore was clearly visible on Pant’s game. Former cricketers Faf du Plessis and Lakshmipathy Balaji also believe that Pant will be under the most pressure this season. Why was Pant’s chair saved? Despite all the criticism, the management finally decided to repose confidence in Rishabh Pant once again. If sources are to be believed, the team’s global director Tom Moody and head coach Justin Langer advocated giving Pant another chance. The team has made a big change in its strategy this time: New batting order: In IPL 2026, Pant will now bat at number 3 instead of number 4. The team hopes that by batting higher, they will be able to play freely. Strong support staff: Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun has been added to the team, so that the weaknesses of the bowling can be removed. Team’s confidence: Recently, Rishabh Pant along with the entire team visited the Ram temple in Ayodhya, which is considered a symbol of the team’s unity and new enthusiasm. ‘Do or die’ season: T20 career is at stakePant For IPL 2026, it is not just a tournament but also a means of making a comeback in the Indian T20 team. Due to the excellent form of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, Pant is out of the T20 team. If this year also his bat remains calm and magic is not seen in his captaincy, then his release in the next season is considered almost certain. LSG’s first match is against Delhi Capitals on 1 April 2026, where all eyes will be on the performance of ‘Captain Pant’.