Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant has pointed to one central problem behind the team’s bleak IPL 2026 run: a persistent lack of clarity about batting roles, leading to frequent reshuffles in the batting order. Speaking at the toss ahead of LSG’s must-win meeting with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Lucknow on Thursday, Pant said the franchise has not been able to settle on a consistent plan within the squad.
Quick facts
- LSG captain: Rishabh Pant
- Match: Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Venue/city: Lucknow
- Day: Thursday
- Stakes: LSG face elimination risk; a loss would make them the first team knocked out this season
- Points situation: RCB are third with 12 points from nine matches; LSG have four points from nine matches
- Pant’s wicket view: expects a batting track around 180–190
- Pant’s batting return so far: 204 runs in nine matches (average 25.50, strike rate 128.30)
Pant’s message was simple: clarity, and then stability. “The key thing is moving with more clarity,” he said. He added that while the side may contain top players, cricket can swing quickly when responsibilities and roles are not consistently understood.
He also acknowledged that the batting order has been adjusted often, and that the team is trying to correct course before it is too late. Pant said the conversations within the group have largely centred on role definition, and that further batting-order tweaks are part of their attempt to build something workable “for the next season.”
Must-win pressure in Lucknow
LSG go into the contest in a desperate position. Bengaluru sit third in the IPL 2026 points table, collecting 12 points from nine games, while Lucknow have managed only four points from the same number of matches, leaving them on the edge of the playoffs chase.
The consequences of the result are stark. If LSG lose to RCB, they will become the first team to be officially knocked out of the season. If Bengaluru win instead, they would move to the top of the standings, leapfrogging Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings in the process.
With pressure mounting on him both as captain and as a batter, Pant reiterated the value of a steady setup in T20 cricket. However, he also admitted that given where LSG currently stand in the tournament, they have felt compelled to experiment rather than cling to the same approach.
“Having a stable environment in T20 cricket is essential,” Pant said, before stressing that change sometimes becomes necessary. He noted that when alterations are required, the team should be able to adjust—because repeating the same actions does not always lead to the same results.
Pant framed the upcoming challenge in that light, adding that trying different options—especially from their current situation—is not a bad direction at all.
Pitch and personal form
Before the high-pressure clash, Pant also assessed the Lucknow surface and offered his expectation for the batting conditions. He predicted a more batter-friendly wicket than teams have seen at the venue in earlier matches this season, saying it looks like a 180–190 type of pitch.
For Pant personally, the season has been difficult as well. The wicketkeeper-batter has struggled to produce a major impact with the bat, scoring 204 runs across nine matches, at an average of 25.50 and a strike rate of 128.30.
