Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant kept his plans for the IPL 2026 opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad deliberately vague, refusing to commit one way or the other when asked if he would take the new-ball role. What was clear, though, was his call at the toss: Pant won the coin flip and elected to bowl first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Captain’s toss call and the opening question
Pant enters the discussion around the top order with history from the last outing, when he was promoted to open alongside Mitchell Marsh. Speaking after that change and ahead of the SRH clash, he maintained a cautious tone about whether he would repeat the strategy.
- When asked whether he would open for LSG against SRH in IPL 2026, Pant stayed non-committal.
- After the previous match versus Delhi Capitals, he was asked if he would continue opening for the remainder of IPL 2026, and responded: “I think it’s a 50-50 call, but we’ll see. But you will definitely see me in the top order.”
- At the toss ahead of the SRH fixture, when asked about opening later in the match, Pant said, “We’ll see.”
What happened when Pant opened before
In the IPL 2025 season, Pant typically batted at No. 4. However, the earlier decision to send him opening—partnering him with Mitchell Marsh—raised expectations, especially after the Marsh-Markram combination had been firing.
That experiment did not deliver the desired result in the Delhi Capitals game. Pant made only 7 runs before being dismissed, with his innings ending in an unfortunate run-out at the non-striker’s end.
Rearrangement in the batting order
The move to bring Pant into the opening slot also forced a change in LSG’s middle-order structure. With Pant taking over as an opener, Nicholas Pooran had to step away from his usual No. 3 position and was pushed down to No. 5.
Why Pant chose to bowl first vs SRH
Returning to the immediate SRH contest, Pant explained that his decision at the toss was shaped by how he sees the pitch and the opposition’s strengths. He suggested that keeping SRH to bat first would allow LSG to apply pressure during the chase.
- Pant said LSG would “bowl first,” pointing to the pitch as being suitable for that plan.
- He added that SRH’s batting is their strength, so LSG wanted them to bat first.
- He believed LSG could “put them under pressure in the second innings.”
- Pant insisted it was not a new challenge for the side, while also warning that the team can “hurt us.”
- He noted there could be assistance for the ball later, saying the ball might “stick after the first 6 overs.”
Reflecting on Pant’s 2025 season and what IPL 2026 means
Pant’s IPL 2025 campaign was widely seen as a difficult one when he operated in the middle order. His overall output would have looked even worse if not for one standout contribution: a century in LSG’s last group-stage fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Despite that high point, his inability to consistently influence matches was a major factor behind the franchise missing out on the playoffs.
Pressure ahead for selection hopes
With IPL 2026 now approaching, the stakes are especially high for Pant. He is currently out of favour in India’s T20I setup. A strong run of 500–600 runs in the season, Pant’s supporters believe, would put him back into contention for national selection.
