When Rishabh Pant was signed by Lucknow Super Giants at the IPL mega auction for a record-breaking amount, franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka clearly set out his expectations for the new captain: win trophies
and build a legacy.
One and a half seasons later, LSG have been advised to reconsider their decision to appoint Pant, the most expensive player in IPL history, as captain. Former India batters Manoj Tiwary and Rohan Gavaskar believe the burden of leadership is affecting Pant’s individual performance. They feel that relieving the wicketkeeper-batter of captaincy could help him play more freely and ultimately benefit the team as well.
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Last season, LSG finished seventh in Pant’s maiden campaign as captain. The story has not improved in IPL 2026, with the team currently languishing at the bottom of the points table after managing just two wins from nine games so far.
Pant’s own form with the bat has also been a concern. He has scored 204 runs from nine innings at a below-par strike rate of 128.30.
Gavaskar feels LSG would be better off replacing Pant as captain.
“In an interview (after Pant’s appointing as captain) Sanjiv Goenka had said he wants to create a legacy with Rishabh Pant,” Gavaskar said on Cricbuzz. “They want him to play for 10-15 years, win trophies and become a successful franchise. Everybody hopes for that. Sometimes you have to take a player out of the firing line. They may have to make a decision for the next season on whether Pant should continue as captain or be asked to just focus on his batting because we all know he is an explosive batter and know his potential as a cricketer.”
Gavaskar further added that the team’s poor performances are adding to Pant‘s pressure.
“I am a big fan of Pant, but will he be the captain again next season, or will the team benefit more from him batting without any inhibitions? He is not in form and when you are a captain with the team is not performing well, you feel that pressure. They need to take that pressure off him and allow him to play freely,” he said.
Tiwary echoed Gavaskar’s views, saying LSG are losing out on Pant’s batting potential due to the burden of captaincy.
“We are losing Rishabh Pant’s batting because of this pressure of captaincy. He has proven himself at international level and in the IPL as a batter, but the runs are not coming off his bat as expected from a top-class player. Out of three innings, you would expect him to score in at least one – that’s the sign of a top player,” he said.
“I also want him to be relieved of the responsibility of captaincy and used purely as a batter instead. That would be in the best interest of the team,” he added.
