Rishabh Pant's Sacking All But Confirmed By LSG Supremo

Rishabh Pant with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka [Source: X]

Lucknow Super Giants' torrid IPL 2026 run finally came to an end as they concluded their campaign with another crushing defeat. The Super Giants lost their final group-stage clash to Punjab Kings, finishing tenth on the IPL points table. 

Rishabh Pant's tenure as the LSG captain has been nothing but shambolic for the franchise. The destructive batter joined the team as the costliest player in the IPL history as the Lucknow-based franchise signed him for a whopping amount of INR 27 crores. 

However, the hefty investment has backfired massively on the Super Giants, as they have missed the IPL playoffs twice in Pant's tenure. 

After LSG's abysmal performance in the IPL 2026, one of the Super Giants' key decision-makers hinted at Rishabh Pant's sacking as the captain before the next season. 

Rishabh Pant's performance as LSG captain summarised

Regarded as one of the fiercest strikers of the cricket ball, Rishabh Pant entered the IPL 2025 auction pool after being released by Delhi Capitals. 

Considering his batting and leadership attributes, the LSG think tank appointed Pant as the captain of the franchise. 

Also Read: Shubman Gill Behind Rishabh Pant's Leadership Snub? LSG Captain’s Sister Alleges Politics

While LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka had high expectations from Rishabh Pant, he let the team down with a string of failures in IPL 2025. The southpaw could accumulate 269 runs at a modest average of 24.45, and followed it up with another middling season this year. 

In IPL 2026, Pant managed 312 runs in 13 innings, averaging less than 30 and striking at only 138.05. His captaincy record is not extraordinary either, as Pant has led the Super Giants to 17 defeats in 28 IPL matches. 

LSG mulling over significant leadership change before IPL 2027

As Rishabh Pant has failed to deliver as a batter and captain for LSG, the Super Giants are considering amending their leadership group for the IPL 2027 season. 

After the Super Giants lost their final IPL 2026 encounter to Punjab Kings, LSG's Director of Cricket, Tom Moody, reckoned that the franchise would likely revamp its leadership group before the tournament's next edition. 

"When it comes to the leadership of the franchise, it's certainly something that we'll be taking some very serious consideration to what it looks like in the future. Like every department, when you do reflect on a season, we will be making some considered decisions," Tom Moody said in the post-match press conference. 

Thus, Rishabh Pant's sacking as the captain of the team seems evident, as the Super Giants eye redemption in the IPL 2027 season after two successive group-stage exits. 

LSG's potential leadership candidates: What is Debashis's take?

Upon analysing Tom Moody's statement, we firmly believe that Rishabh Pant is not going to get a long rope as the skipper of the side. Lucknow Super Giants have two prominent players who can replace him as captain. 

Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram are the two names that could be discussed for the Super Giants' IPL captaincy. Marsh is 36 years old, and his injury-prone body might leave LSG in tatters if he sustains an fitness setback mid-season. 

Aiden Markram, on the other hand, has a good record as South Africa's T20I captain. He has emerged victorious on 56 out of 110 occasions in T20s, also leading Sunrisers Eastern Cape to a historic SA20 title. 

Therefore, Aiden Markram's success rate presents him as a strong candidate to replace Rishabh Pant as the Super Giants' captain for the IPL 2027 season. 

Also Read: Arjun Tendulkar Insulted By LSG Teammate On His Debut In IPL 2026