Will Rishabh Pant Lose LSG Captaincy?: The last two IPL seasons have been nothing short of a nightmare for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Rishabh Pant, who joined the team amidst massive expectations and a record-breaking bid, has so far failed to live up to the franchise’s hopes. The situation has reached a point where the threat of him being stripped of the captaincy now looms large.
LSG’s Cricket Director, Tom Moody, has himself admitted that this star wicketkeeper-batsman has failed to cope with the pressures of leadership.
LSG Captaincy Record and Team Performance Analysis
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The Lucknow Super Giants’ trajectory has been on a steady decline over the past two years. The team finished in seventh place in 2025, while its performance this season has been even worse than the last. A crushing 7-wicket defeat against the Punjab Kings in the final group match of the season completely exposed the team’s shortcomings.
If one takes a look at Pant’s track record as captain, the statistics are extremely disappointing:
- Total Matches: 28
- Wins: Only 10
- Losses: 18
“In terms of captaincy, he has certainly found it challenging, and the results reflect that. We need to consider whether this pressure is also having an adverse effect on his performance with the bat.” – Tom Moody
Rishabh Pant Price Tag vs IPL Batting Stats
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LSG acquired Rishabh Pant for a record sum of ₹27 crore. Given such a massive price tag, he faced immense pressure to perform right from the start, yet he appeared to constantly struggle to score runs.
Pant—widely regarded as one of India’s most explosive batsmen—seemed to have lost his signature flair while donning the LSG jersey.
Let’s compare his past and current performance:
| IPL Season / Team | Total Runs | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|
| IPL 2018 (Former Franchise) | 684 Runs | 173.60 |
| IPL 2019 (Former Franchise) | 488 Runs | 162.66 |
| LSG (Combined last two seasons) | 581 Runs | 135.74 |
Pant’s strike rate for LSG (135.74) has been significantly lower than his overall career strike rate (144.18), which remains the team’s biggest cause for concern.
Will Rishabh Pant Face the Same Fate as KL Rahul?
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A question is now rapidly doing the rounds in cricketing circles: will Pant meet the same fate as KL Rahul? Recently, Pant’s cricketing career has witnessed several major shifts. On one hand, he has been dropped from the ODI squad; on the other, KL Rahul has been appointed as the vice-captain of the Test team in his place.
Meanwhile, this remark by Tom Moody casts a significant question mark over Pant’s future.
Moody stated in no uncertain terms:
“We certainly haven’t lived up to our expectations or standards. As far as the franchise’s leadership is concerned, that is an issue we will seriously consider in the future. It seems we now need to make a fresh start.”
Tom Moody on Team Accountability and Collective Failure
However, Moody also clarified that Rishabh Pant alone cannot be made the scapegoat for this poor performance. The entire team and management are accountable for the season-long flop show.
Concluding his remarks, Moody said, “We are all responsible for this disappointing season. I don’t think this is the time to point fingers at any specific individual. We all need some time to reflect on this calmly, but there are certain things that require our attention, and they will be addressed.”
Conclusion: Will LSG Appoint a New Captain for Next Season?
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Tom Moody’s statements make it clear that all is not well within the Lucknow Super Giants camp. The hint of a ‘fresh start’ points directly toward a change in captaincy. It will now be interesting to see whether the management places its trust in Rishabh Pant once again, or if LSG will take the field with a new leader in the upcoming season.
Also Read: Former India All-Rounder Vijay Shankar Retires From IPL And Domestic Cricket
