IPL 2026: Rishabh Pant Officially Steps Down As Captain Of LSG After Consecutive Poor Seasons

After back-to-back disastrous Indian Premier League seasons as captain of Lucknow Super Giants, Rishabh Pant has officially resigned from his post as the skipper of the team.

Pant communicated his decision to step down as captain to the franchise on Friday, and the news was made official by the director of cricket of LSG, Tom Moody, via a statement.

In the official statement by LSG, Moody said, "Rishabh approached the franchisee with this request and we have respectfully accepted it," Moody said. "These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for everything Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as captain. Our focus now is on the collective - rebuilding and restructuring to reach the best standards."

LSG May Release Pant Ahead Of IPL Auction

While Pant's resignation as LSG skipper may have temporarily laid to rest speculation on his future with the franchise but it may not be the final word on the association.

Rishabh Pant's current price of INR 27 crore doesn't justify his utility as a player and LSG could well consider of releasing him ahead of the 2027 IPL Auction to add the above amount in their purse for the mini-auction. Then they could buy back Pant as a player at a lower player and also bolster their squad.

Pant has been with LSG for the last two seasons, and his record both as a batter and a captain hasn't been close to what was expected from him by the management.

Over 28 matches in the last two seasons, Pant has scored only 581 runs at a strike rate of 135.74 with an average of 26.40. As a captain too, he has won only 10 out of the 28 league matches, with a win percentage of just 35.71. On top of that, LSG finished last this year, winning only four out of the 14 matches played, a win percentage of 28.5.