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News India Live, Digital Desk: Before the start of IPL 2026, such a news is coming from the city of Nawabs, Lucknow, which has created a stir in the cricket circles. According to reports, the management of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had seriously considered releasing their captain Rishabh Pant after his poor performance last season. Pant, who was bought for a record-breaking price of ₹27 crore in the 2025 mega auction, did not live up to the expectations, following which there were lengthy discussions between franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka and the team management regarding his future.
Why did the question of releasing it arise? These were the 3 main reasons
Batting flop show: In the last season (IPL 2025), Pant scored only 269 runs in 14 matches. His average (24.45) and strike rate (133.17) were very ordinary compared to his huge price.
Questions on captaincy: Under Pant’s captaincy, the team was out of the playoff race last year and stood seventh in the points table. Some of his tactical decisions on the field were also severely criticized.
Pressure and Price Tag: The burden of ₹27 crore was clearly visible on Pant’s game. Former cricketers Faf du Plessis and Lakshmipathy Balaji also believe that Pant will be under the most pressure this season.
Why was ‘Pant’s’ chair saved?
Despite all the criticism, the management finally decided to repose faith in Rishabh Pant once again. If sources are to be believed, the team’s global director Tom Moody and head coach Justin Langer advocated giving Pant another chance. The team has made a big change in its strategy this time:
New batting order: Pant now in IPL 2026 instead of number 4 No. 3 Will bat on. The team hopes that by batting higher they will be able to play freely.
Strong Support Staff: India’s former legendary bowling coach Bharat Arun has been added to the team, so that the weaknesses of the bowling can be addressed.
Team Trust: Recently, Rishabh Pant along with the entire team visited the Ram temple in Ayodhya, which is considered a symbol of the team’s unity and new enthusiasm.
‘Do or die’ season: T20 career at stake
For Pant, IPL 2026 is not just a tournament but also a means of returning to the Indian T20 team. Due to the excellent form of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, Pant is out of the T20 team. If this year also his bat remains calm and magic is not seen in his captaincy, then his release in the next season is considered almost certain. LSG’s first match 1 April 2026 It is against Delhi Capitals, where all eyes will be on the performance of ‘Captain Pant’.