Ambati Rayudu has asked Rishabh Pant to quit Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)’s captaincy after an underwhelming IPL 2026 season. Rayudu believes that Pant’s MS Dhoni-like instinctive style of leadership might not be compatible with the LSG staff, and instead of trying to adjust, the 28-year-old should ‘sit back and enjoy’.
Pant, the most expensive player signed in an IPL auction, has seen LSG finish seventh and tenth (as of Sunday afternoon) in his two years at the helm. His batting has gone down a trough, too, with the talented wicketkeeper-batter managing only 581 runs in 28 matches, with a strike rate of below 140.
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After LSG’s final league stage match against the Punjab Kings, which they lost,
the team’s Global Director of Cricket, Tom Moody, suggested that a change in leadership was in the offing.
“His (Pant’s) idol has always been MS Dhoni,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo. “We have seen him talk about him, and MS Dhoni’s captaincy is very, very similar. He is very instinctive, so he might be following that path, which the coaching staff might not be compatible with. So, there are so many things; unless and until we hear from Pant as to what his captaincy style is, we can only assume what he’s going through or what he’s thinking. But from the looks of it, he is very, very instinctive and impulsive sometimes. I think the best thing he can do is play as a player,” he added.
As LSG lost out on the playoff race, Pant became more and more vocal in his post-match comments. After almost every defeat, he seemed to indirectly take a dig at the team management, saying there were too many voices in his head.
“Captaincy is a tough job; there is no point in doing it. Be happy in your life, play as a player, score lots of runs,” Rayudu continued. “They are big shoes to fill. MS Dhoni is someone who thinks on his feet. He knows what to expect from someone in a certain situation or at a certain point. Or what he’s going to deliver then. So that way, he is very well prepared. He knows what his resources are and what they bring to the table. But, Rishabh Pant, maybe because he’s not suited to say plan A, plan B, plan C, I don’t think he goes that route. If he cannot go on that route, then he should just sit back, enjoy, and play as a player.”
