Rishabh Pant has stepped down as captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) after the franchise ended the IPL 2026 league stage at the very bottom of the points table.
Pant conveyed the decision to the team on Friday, and LSG confirmed the change through a statement issued by the club’s director of cricket, Tom Moody.
“Rishabh approached the franchisee with this request and we have respectfully accepted it,” Moody said. “These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for everything Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as captain. Our focus now is on the collective — rebuilding and restructuring to reach the best standards.”
The 28-year-old Pant became LSG’s second captain following KL Rahul, who captained the side for three seasons from 2022 to 2024. After being released by Delhi Capitals, Pant was snapped up by LSG at the IPL 2025 mega auction for INR 27 crore (around USD 3.21 million), a deal that made him the most expensive player in league history at the time. In his first message to LSG, Pant said he would give “200%” for the team and expressed excitement about a fresh start, adding that he was “looking forward to have a new beginning with new energy and just have a blast out there, and have lots of fun.”
Despite the optimism, results proved tough for Pant and LSG. Under his captaincy, LSG won 10 matches and lost 18, placing seventh in IPL 2025 and then finishing tenth in IPL 2026.
Pant’s personal batting output also struggled across both campaigns. He managed 269 runs in IPL 2025 at a strike rate of 133.16, and followed it with 312 runs in IPL 2026 at a strike rate of 138.05.
Moody had already hinted that leadership would be reviewed after the season. Immediately following LSG’s final league fixture against Punjab Kings last week, he suggested that a captaincy discussion would form part of the post-season assessment.
“You do have to wonder whether that is a pressure that is reflected with his performance with the bat,” Moody had said. “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.”
In the official statement, Moody did not spell out any specific timeline for naming Pant’s replacement. It now remains to be seen whether LSG — owned by the RPSG group — will choose to wait for the next IPL auction, expected in December, before appointing a new captain.
LSG’s overseas senior group includes players such as Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran, and those names are widely viewed as potential candidates for the leadership role.
