Rishabh Pant Repositions Himself In LSG After Sanjeev Goenka's Pressure For IPL 2026

Sanjeev Goenka and Rishabh Pant [Source: X]

In a significant development, it has been understood that destructive batter Rishabh Pant will likely reposition himself in the LSG batting lineup for the IPL 2026. 

Pant is the captain of the Sanjeev Goenka-owned Lucknow Super Giants and is all set to spearhead their batting lineup in the upcoming edition of the tournament. 

It's worth mentioning that the left-hander mostly batted at number four in the IPL 2025. However, with the IPL 2026 approaching, the Rishabh Pant batting position is all set to be amended ahead of their tournament opener against Delhi Capitals on April 1. 

Rishabh Pant considers changing batting position for IPL 2026

India's experienced batter Rishabh Pant was appointed the LSG captain ahead of the IPL 2025 season. The Lucknow-based franchise had secured his services for a whopping INR 27 crores in the mega auction. 

However, the southpaw couldn't live up to the hype, letting the Super Giants down with a string of failures. Overall, Pant managed only 269 runs, at a modest average of 24.45, while striking at just 133.17. 

His poor returns with the bat shattered LSG's maiden IPL title hopes, as the Sanjeev Goenka-owned franchise crashed out of the group-stage of the 2025 season. 

Given that he was the captain of the team, Pant's mediocre outing earned him massive backlash, with a section of fans also questioning his retention ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

LSG Owner Sanjeev Goenka demands better results from Pant and his troops

Renowned Indian businessman Sanjeev Goenka is passionate about cricket and has always prioritised on-field results over the brand value of players. 

The LSG owner didn't hesitate to break ties with prominent Indian cricketer KL Rahul after the latter failed to deliver the goods as the captain of the team. 

Also read: Rishabh Pant Follows Rohit Sharma’s Fitness Path, Flaunts A Leaner Look Before IPL 2026

Although he was quite patient with Rishabh Pant and backed him to the hilt throughout the 2025 season, it's understandable from his perspective to demand a better outing, as he has invested an amount as huge as 27 crore in the Indian keeper-batter. 

In an interesting turn of events, LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka clarified his thought process with a cryptic post that read, "I measure people by the results they deliver, not by the hours they sit behind a desk without delivering. Output is the only honest metric."

Speaking to Sports Tak, Goenka even claimed that the IPL 2026 would be LSG's year to shine. His statement received mixed reactions from the fans, as some accused him of putting his men under undue pressure. 

Although he hadn't directly mentioned Pant in his post on X, cricket fanatics believed that his social media activity was meant to push the LSG skipper for a more impactful performance in the IPL 2026. 

Rishabh Pant's new batting position for IPL 2026 revealed

With Sanjeev Goenka seeking a better performance from the Super Giants players, Rishabh Pant has decided to bat up the order at number three in the upcoming IPL season. 

According to Bharat Sharma from PTI, the Lucknow captain has decided to follow the opening pair of Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh, meaning their regular number three, Nicholas Pooran, might bat lower down the order this time. 

Amid Pant's persistent lean patch, Pooran stepped up as LSG's go-to man with the bat, scoring 524 runs at an average of 43.67 and a strike rate of 196.25. Interestingly, 466 of his 524 runs came while batting at number three. 

Talking about Pant, he has a healthy record at number three, having amassed 558 runs at an average of 46.50 and a strike rate of 172.76. 

So, with the Super Giants' captain deciding to replace Pooran at three, it will be interesting to see whether his bold call adversely affects the performance of the West Indies batter in the IPL 2026. 

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