Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had barely breathed after their IPL 2026 opener when the captaincy conversations turned into a social-media storm. Following a defeat to Delhi Capitals, footage of the franchise owner speaking with the captain on the field quickly went viral, sparking the familiar question: not again, and not this early?
The anxiety is understandable. KL Rahul had already left LSG after the end of IPL 2024, after an owner’s dressing-down—broadcast widely after a painful loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad—became a global talking point. With that history, any similar scene involving authority and on-field performance naturally hits a nerve.
Now it was Rishabh Pant’s turn to sit in the spotlight. While the exchange wasn’t as visibly confrontational as the one Rahul endured, it spread rapidly online. LSG attempted to manage the narrative by posting what they called an unedited video showing the same people and the same discussion, but that only invited more scrutiny.
Quick facts
- LSG lost their IPL 2026 opening match to Delhi Capitals.
- KL Rahul had parted ways with LSG after IPL 2024, following a widely circulated dressing-down after a defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
- Rishabh Pant is approaching 10 years as an international player, with a Test place largely confirmed.
- Pant’s standout IPL season came in 2018: 684 runs at a strike rate of 173.60.
- In IPL 2026, Pant’s best batting slot has been No. 3: 626 runs at an average of 52.16 and a strike rate of 167.82.
- On Sunday, Pant faced 157 chase vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, later arriving at No. 3.
- LSG needed 52 runs off 42 balls when Mukul Chaudhary came in as the next batter.
- Jaydev Unadkat’s 16th-over phase included two boundaries helped by Pant, leading to 13 off the final six balls.
That noise is the kind of distraction T20 cricketers can least afford—especially when there are already other pressures waiting in the wings. Pant’s larger career story suggests he has a firm footing in Test cricket, yet the format he is expected to dominate has not consistently clicked for him.
Approaching a decade at international level, Pant remains primarily assured of his role in India’s Test setup. His batting style is built around unconventional timing and shot selection, but the T20 returns have been uneven—close enough to the centre of the pile to tempt expectations, yet often not landing there.
He did deliver a brilliant IPL campaign in 2018, posting 684 runs at a strike rate of 173.60. Beyond that peak, his performances have frequently hovered around the margins, leaving observers debating whether he has truly “solved” T20 cricket—or whether the game keeps finding ways to expose him.
Batting role and pressure
One issue has been clarity. Batting position has not always been straightforward for him, and his Test success is often traced to a blend of fearlessness and tactical exploitation of fields that are set up higher. The same batter who can attack almost as naturally as he defends, has also shown he can knuckle down—evident in a Gabba Test display—but there have been episodes that hint at how easily emotions can spill over.
There was even a moment where he lost his wicket and got visibly angry with Cheteshwar Pujara after Pujara advised him to dial back his strokeplay. The incident, as it was discussed, left him confused and exposed, underlining how thin the margin can be between aggression and vulnerability.
In this IPL, Pant started the innings with a clear plan. With field restrictions in place and the ability to hit over the top even when not fully balanced at the crease, runs were the expectation. That didn’t last long—he was run out at the non-striker’s end when a straight drive deflected off the bowler’s hand and hit the stumps.
On Sunday, chasing 157 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Pant came in at No. 3. Numbers back that move: at that position he has made 626 runs at an average of 52.16 and a strike rate of 167.82. The flip side is that it pushes a batter of higher profile—Nicholas Pooran—down the order, and it has become clear that shifting him that way reduces his impact.
Pooran’s output in LSG’s 2026 matches has been minimal so far, with 8 runs and then 1, and his dismissal against SRH only intensified the tension. LSG suddenly had less margin for error, and the chase demanded a calm, controlled finish.
When the equation read 52 needed from 42 balls, the last established batting pair was still there at the crease. The next batter in—Mukul Chaudhary—was just 21 and playing his first IPL season, making the situation feel increasingly uncomfortable. In that moment, it became painfully obvious that Pant would have to take the team home.
The pressure wasn’t abstract. Pant had still not fully ironed out the T20 side of his game, and the wider narrative had already framed him as someone who needed to respond after feeling responsible for the previous match ending in defeat.
Another challenge arrived with the pitch. Batting on a slow surface always demands patience, yet Pant needed 12 balls before he found his first boundary. Even then, he kept trying to play his shots—trying to force the game to open up rather than letting it come to him.
There was a pull against Harshal Patel that carried to deep third, a cut off Shivang Kumar that stopped just short of the rope, and a slice off Eshan Malinga that cleared mid-off narrowly. It did not resemble an innings he would casually frame as a highlight reel for years to come.
The turning point
But he persisted, and a smaller target helped him lock in his focus. Staying in spite of the struggle eventually delivered the kind of ball he could punish. Jaydev Unadkat lost his line down the leg side and missed the pitch with one delivery—Pant took advantage, striking two boundaries in the 16th over.
The chase tightened quickly. From 43 off 30, it shifted to 29 off 24, then 15 off 12, and finally 13 off the last six balls. The finish began to look like it might belong to him, even if the earlier phases had threatened to drain the match completely.
With Unadkat likely to try a yorker, Pant positioned himself deep and took guard with intent. That positioning gave him leverage as he opened the final over with a boundary. The bowler tried to come off pace and into the wicket, and Pant—rushing to react—flat-batted it over mid-off.
He then stumbled off balance, ending up down on his knees as the dugout rose in applause. A little later, he collapsed further and sprawled across the outfield on his own, as if the body finally admitted what the mind had already forced through.
This is the kind of innings Pant will remember long after the scoreboard is forgotten. Much of his best work comes from a childlike belief that the impossible can be made real; this one was about growing up just enough to absorb the pressure, keep moving, and do what the moment demanded.
