Rishabh Pant opened the innings in LSG vs DC. Credits - AP
As Lucknow Super Giants opened their campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026), a debate on Rishabh Pant's batting position has started all over the internet. The LSG captain had a poor start to the season, returning with a nine-ball 7.
On Wednesday, LSG became the first home team to lose a game in the IPL 2026. Despite reducing the Delhi Capitals to 26/4 inside the powerplay, Lucknow's bowling fell flat while defending a low score of 141 runs.
For DC, Sameer Rizvi, a local boy at Ekana, played a remarkable knock as the Impact Player. He smashed 70* runs in 47 balls, amassing five fours and four biggies during his Player of the Match knock. Moreover, Rizvi stitched an unbeaten 119-run partnership with Tristan Stubbs. Delhi chased down the target in 17.1 overs.
Rishabh Pant on his batting position
In the opening game for LSG, captain Rishabh Pant opened the innings with Mitchell Marsh. As Pant slotted himself at the top, he broke the terrorising opening pair of Marsh and Aiden Markram, who set the stage on fire last season.
Additionally, LSG's experiment of promoting Pant didn't fare well against DC. Pant got run out in an unfortunate fashion when a drive by Marsh hit the bowler's palm before breaking the non-striker's stumps.
Also Read: Sanjiv Goenka Scolds Rishabh Pant After IPL Loss; Ignites KL Rahul Memories
Pant's failure has started a buzz among fans. The 28-year-old wicketkeeper also spoke about his batting position in the post-match presentation. Although he confirmed that he will be batting in the top order, Pant called it a 50- 50 chance for him to open the innings in the next games.
"I think it is a 50-50 call but definitely, you will see me in the top-order," Rishabh Pant said in the post-match representation after the DC loss.
Poor IPL 2025 for pricy Rishabh Pant
At the mega auction ahead of IPL 2025, Lucknow Super Giants broke the bank for Rishabh Pant. The franchise acquired his services for INR 27 crore, making him the most costly player in the IPL history.
However, the Pant punt failed for LSG, as he had a forgettable season as both a batter and a captain. He could only score 269 runs in 13 innings, which included a century and a fifty. Meanwhile, they finished in seventh position on the points table.
The LSG captain came under a lot of scrutiny after a disastrous IPL campaign. As a result, he lost his place in the Indian squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, after being a vital cog in the previous campaign.
Rishabh Pant's dip in T20s
Rishabh Pant has astonishing Test numbers, but the attacking batter has not fared well in the shortest format. In his decade-long IPL career, he hasn’t had a 500-run-plus season since 2018.
Ironically, IPL 2018 was the only season where the southpaw scored over 500 runs (684 at 52.61 and 173.60). However, the best of Rishabh Pant has come while batting at number 3 and 4.
Overall, Pant has scored 5298 runs in 217 T20s, hitting 26 half-centuries and three tons, at an average of 31.16 at a strike rate of 144.24.
Also Read: Rajat Patidar Snubs Virat Kohli, Names IPL Best Captain
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