Kane Williamson, Sanjiv Goenka, Rishabh Pant and Justin Langer (Source:X)
The IPL 2026 season turned into a nightmare for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as the franchise finished at the bottom of the points table with only four wins from 14 matches.
After entering the tournament with high expectations and a star-studded squad, LSG failed to build momentum at any stage of the season.
The disappointing season has now forced the franchise management to seriously review its leadership structure. While captain Rishabh Pant remains one of the biggest names, his future as captain is now under the radar for the next season.
At the same time, Kane Williamson’s role with LSG will also be reviewed ahead of IPL 2027.
What went wrong for LSG in IPL 2026?
One of the biggest reasons behind LSG’s collapse was the failure of their star players to perform consistently. Pant, who was bought for a record INR 27 crore at the 2025 mega auction, had a difficult season both as captain and batter.
The wicketkeeper-batter scored 312 runs from 13 innings at an average of 28.36 and a strike rate of 138.05.
Nicholas Pooran also failed to perform, which added to LSG’s problems. Known for his explosive batting in the middle order, Pooran had an unusually poor season, averaging only 18.00 with a strike rate of 127.86. His lack of finishing power hurt the team badly in close matches.
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The only consistent batter for LSG was Mitchell Marsh, who scored 563 runs and fought almost alone in several matches.
However, he received very little support from the rest of the batting order. Aiden Markram and Pant could not maintain consistency throughout the tournament.
One positive for LSG came in the form of Josh Inglis, who joined the squad as a replacement player during the season.
In the bowling department, LSG showed impressive performance with Prince Yadav and Mohammed Shami taking the charge.
Kane Williamson to get bigger opportunity in IPL 2027
Following the poor season in IPL 2026, major changes are expected within the franchise. According to Revsportz, head coach Justin Langer’s future is doubtful with LSG.
Fast-bowling coach Bharat Arun, however, has received praise for helping young bowlers. Kane Williamson is emerging as an important figure in the franchise’s future plans.
It is vital to note that Kane Williamson joined LSG as a strategic advisor for IPL 2026.
Kane Williamson experience and strong relationship with players make him a strong candidate for a bigger leadership role if the franchise decides to restructure its management group ahead of IPL 2027.
Tom Moody on LSG's future
LSG also have Tom Moody serving as global director of cricket.
After the Punjab Kings game, Moody mentioned that LSG would consider a leadership reset. "From a captaincy point of view, you know, he (Pant) has found it challenging, obviously, and the results reflect that,” he said at the post-match press conference. "
“And you do have to wonder whether that is a pressure that is reflected with his performance with the bat. I know that this season has been a difficult season for us, but we will reflect on it, we will take time, we will reflect on it. We will consider all things."
He added: "Like every department, when you do reflect on a season, we will be making some considered decisions, but it certainly looks like that we are needing to consider a reset."
It is important to note that several tough decisions could follow, including changes in captaincy, the the coaching staff, and the overall direction of the team before IPL 2027.
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