Rishabh Pant steps down as LSG captain after disastrous campaign:Lucknow won 4 out of 14 matches, INR 27 crore price tag weighs too heavy?

In a major development, Rishabh Pant has decided to step down as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain. The wicketkeeper-batter requested the franchise to relieve him of his captaincy duties, which was accepted. Pant captained LSG in two seasons and the franchise failed to qualify for the playoffs in both editions. In IPL 2026, LSG finished bottom of the points table, managing just four victories out of 14 matches. Rishabh Pant steps down as LSG captain with immediate effect In an official statement, the Lucknow Super Giants revealed that Pant had reached out to the franchise seeking relief from his responsibility as captain. The franchise accepted the request. “These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for everything Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as captain. Our focus is now on the collective- rebuilding and restructuring to reach the best standards,” LSG Director of Cricket Tom Moody said. Pant was signed for a massive sum of ₹27 crore at the IPL 2025 auction, making him the most expensive player in the history of the tournament. LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka, after naming Pant as the captain, had said that the wicketkeeper’s leadership would be discussed in the same breath as MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. How did Rishabh Pant perform in IPL 2026? Pant not only failed to make a mark as captain but also had a forgettable time with the bat as well. In 14 matches, he scored just 312 runs with just one half-century. His strike rate was also underwhelmingly low at 138.05 and had a best score of 68*. Pant has been experiencing a downward trajectory in his career. Not just in the IPL, but Pant has failed to make much of an impact in international cricket as well. The left-hander recently lost his Test vice-captaincy to KL Rahul ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan scheduled to be played on 6 June. Who will be LSG captain after Pant’s error? LSG have some thinking to do to pick their new captain after Pant’s decision to step down. Some contenders for captaincy are Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram and also Nicholas Pooran. It remains to be seen who takes up the mantle after Pant’s exit. Other teams might have captaincy changes as well Other IPL teams might witness captaincy changes as well before the next season. According to a PTI report from 14 May, Axar Patel and Ajinkya Rahane are also set to lose the captaincy of their respective franchises, Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Earlier, it was reported that Hardik Pandya is also set to no longer be the captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI). The five-time champions finished ninth on the points table and ended their campaign with a home loss to the Rajasthan Royals.