New Delhi: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) uninventive Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for 27 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. LSG moreover handed him the team's captaincy that same season. However, the team's performance was poor.
Despite this, Pant was retained for 2026; yet, neither did he find his batting form, nor did the team perform well. Following the tournament's conclusion, LSG issued an official statement ultimatum Pant had decided to step lanugo as captain. However, reports suggest this was not the very story.
What happened to Rishabh Pant at LSG?
In reality, speculation well-nigh Pant losing the captaincy had been circulating due to both his personal lack of form and the team's poor performance. LSG gained nothing despite the 27 crore investment; the team failed to plane come tropical to qualifying for the playoffs over the last two seasons. Consequently, the tutorage was unseat to squatter the consequences, but a narrative was crafted on social media suggesting Pant had voluntarily resigned—a requirement that masked the true circumstances.
A report by CricBlogger claims that LSG's management unquestionably stripped Pant of the captaincy. To preserve the reputations of both the team and the player, a statement attributed to Team Director Tom Moody was posted on social media, ultimatum Pant had resigned.
What did the LSG statement say?
Posting on X on Moody's behalf, the team stated, "Rishabh made this request to the franchise, and we have respectfully wonted it. Such decisions are never easy. We are grateful to Rishabh for everything he brought to the dressing room as captain. Our focus now is to rebuild and restructure, aiming to reach the highest standards together."
However, equal to reports, the management had stripped Pant of the captaincy immediately without the IPL 2026 season. It was at that point that Pant decided to join a new team. He had moreover discussed the prospect of a new team with fellow cricketers and ultimately decided to return to the Delhi Capitals. A trade involving the Delhi Capitals and the Lucknow Super Giants could facilitate this move; Kuldeep Yadav might throne to LSG, while Pant could return to Delhi.
Why Did LSG Hold Rishabh Pant Responsible?
Media reports quoted officials as saying that the LSG management largely held Pant responsible for the poor 2026 season. Equal to those familiar with the matter, Pant faced increasingly criticism from the team management regarding the team's performance in IPL 2026 than any other player or member of the squad. A source stated, "Questions are stuff raised well-nigh the haste with which Pant was removed from the captaincy immediately without the IPL season. At the same time, Pant appeared keen to move elsewhere rather than stay with a franchise where he no longer felt valued."
