The IPL midseason picture is rapidly shifting, and Punjab Kings have surged to the summit while remaining unbeaten—an outcome that feels rare in a league defined by sudden swings. At the other end, Lucknow Super Giants—captained by Rishabh Pant—are mired near the bottom, with their batting group failing to consistently support a bowling unit that has looked far better than the results suggest.
Lucknow’s situation worsened again on Sunday night, April 27, when they absorbed a fifth straight loss of the season. Their latest setback came against Kolkata Knight Riders, a side that had already been beaten earlier in the campaign by Lucknow by 3 wickets. In the most recent match, a Super Over decided matters after Lucknow could not chase a modest target of 156 in a modern T20 context.
Quick facts
- Punjab Kings are leading the IPL table and remain unbeaten.
- Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are struggling at the bottom under Rishabh Pant.
- LSG have suffered their fifth consecutive defeat of the season.
- The most recent defeat was on Sunday night, April 27, vs Kolkata Knight Riders.
- LSG previously beat KKR earlier in the season by 3 wickets.
- The latest loss involved a Super Over after Lucknow failed to chase 156.
- Pant was acquired for INR 27 crore ahead of the 2025 season, replacing KL Rahul.
- LSG have lost 8 consecutive matches at Ekana Stadium in front of home fans.
Pant’s captaincy period has therefore started under intense pressure. Lucknow brought him in ahead of the 2025 season with a record fee of INR 27 crore, aiming to help end the franchise’s title drought and move on from then-captain KL Rahul. Yet the home stretch at the Ekana Stadium has been particularly punishing, with eight successive defeats in Lucknow’s own backyard feeding a growing groundswell of calls for leadership changes across social media.
Wasim Jaffer’s call for change
Former India batter Wasim Jaffer believes the solution may lie in shifting the captaincy. He argued that Aiden Markram—viewed as a proven leader in the South Africa T20I setup—should take over from Pant, who is currently under the spotlight. Jaffer also suggested a clearer batting structure for Lucknow, pointing to the opening partnership that worked last season as a foundation.
On his YouTube channel, Jaffer laid out what he would do if he were in the Lucknow dugout. His blueprint starts with Markram and Mitchell Marsh as the top two, followed by Nicholas Pooran at number three, Rishabh Pant at four, and Ayush Badoni at five. He then proposed Abdul Samad at six and Mukul Choudhary at seven, keeping that top group intact as the batting plan.
Jaffer’s reasoning was blunt: “LSG looks completely out of place right now; it’s hard even to know what to expect from them. If I were in that dugout, the first thing I would do is make Aiden Markram the captain. I would open with Markram and Mitchell Marsh. At number three, Nicholas Pooran, then Rishabh Pant at four, and Ayush Badoni at five. At number six, Abdul Samad, and at seven, Mukul Choudhary. That would be my top seven, and I would go with this batting order.”
Why Jaffer backs Markram
Jaffer also explained why he thinks Pant’s best value comes without the extra weight of captaincy. He pointed to evidence from Pant’s past output when he has been allowed to bat freely, citing that the wicketkeeper-batter scored 42 against KKR. Still, Lucknow has not managed to turn performances into victories during a flat run this season, with Pant contributing just 189 runs in 8 matches—an average below 27 with a strike rate of roughly 127.
Jaffer emphasised that Pant’s reputation is built on explosive middle-order batting, and he referenced the peak of his pre-captaincy form in 2018. That year, playing for the then Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Pant compiled 684 runs at a strike rate of about 174. In Jaffer’s view, that sort of impact is more likely when the player is not carrying tactical decision-making on top of batting duties.
“I feel a player like Rishabh Pant should play purely as a player. You get the best out of him when you free him up and tell him to just go out and play and win matches on his own. Don’t burden him with captaincy. I think Aiden Markram is a better captain. He has led South Africa very successfully; he is mentally strong, very composed, and I think he can get the best out of the other players. But this doesn’t look like something that will actually happen. This is just my suggestion, but if I were there, that’s what I would do,” Jaffer added.
With only 2 wins from their first 8 matches, Lucknow need a genuine spark—something inspirational and immediate—to reverse their fortunes. If they do not find a way to translate bowling effort into batting results, the season could take a sharp turn for the worse, especially with their next assignment coming against the Mumbai Indians.
