Rishabh Pant Tagged Inferior To Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni; Ex-IPL Star Points Out Major Flaw

MS Dhoni Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma [Source: AFP]

The Lucknow Super Giants campaign under Rishabh Pant hasn't been very impressive in IPL 2026, as they are languishing at the bottom of the table. 

The team has managed to win only two games from their nine encounters. Consequently, Pant's captaincy has been questioned, as it came to the forefront after a dismal IPL 2025 season.

The owner of LSG, Sanjiv Goenka, hoped that Rishabh Pant's name would soon be alongside legendary names like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma as one of the most successful IPL leaders. 

However, former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary explained why that status remains a very distant dream for the Lucknow skipper.

The poor track record of Rishabh Pant as LSG captain

After recording seven losses this season, Pant also became one of the worst Lucknow Super Giants skippers of all time.

While Krunal Pandya, Nicholas Pooran, and KL Rahul led the team on various occasions, Pant, having taken over the leadership in 2025, has led the team in 23 games and managed to win only eight of them. This translates his win-to-loss ratio to a meagre 0.571.

At best, Krunal Pandya has the most successful record, winning three games out of the six he has led, with a win-to-loss ratio of 1.50.

Also Read- Rishabh Pant In A 'Tough Position'; LSG Coach Decodes Key Reasons For IPL Slump

Pant's track record as a captain in home matches has also been baffling. Leading the team in 13 matches at home, Pant has managed to win only three. 

It also included a dismal outing where the team was all out for 119 against the Rajasthan Royals in the April 22 match at Lucknow.

As these poor stats pile up, Rishabh Pant's sixth consecutive defeat on Monday night against the Mumbai Indians led ex-cricketer Manoj Tiwary to deliver a brutal analysis of his downfall.

Manoj Tiwary pinpoints gaps in Pant’s captaincy

Tiwary, while noting the defeat against the Mumbai Indians in the IPL match, shared a key detail to explain the gap in Pant's captaincy compared to MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.

Tiwary elaborated that Prince Yadav was the only key bowler for LSG against MI, keeping things tight with a solid economy rate of 8, although he went wicketless.

While he lauded Prince Yadav's bowling skills, Tiwary stressed that Rishabh Pant has fallen short in applying effective tactics and strategy in the IPL as a captain.

Tiwary suggested that Pant should have considered bringing in Arjun Tendulkar as an impact player, since he has been doing well in the nets by keeping his line and length tight.

“Pant is also losing out on tactical moves. In the match against Mumbai, Prince Yadav was the only economical bowler, and that was because he was executing yorkers. As a captain, you should have told the other bowlers to follow that plan."

"I even saw videos on social media, posted by LSG, showing Arjun Tendulkar bowling yorkers in the nets. So Pant could have brought him in. This is where MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma are different as captains,” Manoj Tiwary told Cricbuzz.

For the unaware, although Arjun Tendulkar is yet to feature in a game for Lucknow this season, he was traded from the Mumbai Indians for INR 30 lakh.

End of IPL 2026 for LSG?

Nevertheless, Rishabh Pant's Men might have to bid goodbye to their IPL 2026 campaign, as they have very little hope left of making it to the playoffs.

With teams like Punjab Kings, RCB, SRH, Rajasthan Royals, and Gujarat Titans already securing 12 and 13 points, LSG's qualification prospects look quite tough.

Making it to the top four will be a mountainous task for the bottom-placed side, as Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Kolkata Knight Riders are also aiming for playoff spots in their remaining matches.

Also Read: Hardik Pandya To Be Sacked As Captain? Mumbai Indians' Stance Revealed