Lucknow Super Giants are set to evaluate their leadership structure after finishing in the bottom two of IPL 2026, a disappointing follow-up to their No. 7 place in the 2025 season. The franchise’s global director of cricket, Tom Moody, indicated that the club needs to take a serious look at how it is led, pointing to the record the team has produced while Rishabh Pant has been captain—10 wins and 18 defeats.
Moody’s remarks came after LSG’s loss to Punjab Kings, when he addressed the question of whether the captaincy has been affected by added pressure. “From a captaincy point of view, you know, he’s found it challenging, obviously, and the results reflect that,” Moody said at the post-match press conference. “And 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.”
He added that the franchise believes it has not met its own benchmarks and suggested that changes may be part of the offseason thinking. “But certainly we haven’t lived up to the expectation or the standard that we expect of ourselves. And certainly when it comes to the leadership of the franchise, it’s certainly something that we’ll be taking some very serious consideration to, you know, what it looks like in the future. Like every department, when you do reflect on a season, we will be making some considered decisions, but it certainly looks like that we’re needing to consider a reset.”
Pant, who delivered sensational campaigns in 2018 and 2019, has not been as impactful with the bat during his time as LSG’s captain. Across two seasons, he has managed 581 runs at a strike rate of 135.74. Moody’s comments also align with the fact that both Pant’s batting average and strike rate over those two years have fallen short of his career numbers. During the campaign, Pant also spoke about the presence of too many voices in the leadership setup, suggesting that internal clarity and decision-making may have been an issue.
Moody’s statement also followed earlier criticism from head coach Justin Langer, who had voiced disappointment with Pant’s showing after the most recent match. “I think we’re all responsible [for the disappointing season],” Moody said. “I don’t think it’s a time to point the finger at any individual. I think we all take accountability, and now’s not the time to be apportioning blame in any particular department. We all need time to reflect on it in a calm manner, but there’s certain things that we do need to address, and will be addressed.”
Should Pant be asked to step aside as captain, it would not be the first time LSG has handled leadership changes unceremoniously. KL Rahul, who captained the franchise in its initial three IPL seasons, previously admitted that he was not fully happy with his stint at the team and was looking for a “lighter” environment around it.
