Former Indian cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath believes that wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Panthas fallen out of favour in India’s white-ball setup. He added
that the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will be crucial for the left-hander as he looks to make a comeback into the national side.
Pant endured a disappointing campaign in IPL 2025, scoring just 269 runs in 14 matches for Lucknow Super Giants at an average of under 25. Despite being the most expensive signing of the mega auction, acquired for a massive INR 27 crore, he struggled to deliver consistent performances.
"There will be a lot of focus on Rishabh Pant. Let's not forget, he was the most expensive player in the auction two years back. So there will be massive expectations on him. It is clear that he has gone out of favor within the Indian white-ball setup. They are seeing him only as a red-ball player,” said Badrinath on his YouTube channel.
"If he has to create headlines in white-ball cricket, the upcoming IPL season in huge for Pant. Captaincy has seemingly diminished his free-flowing batting. He has not been very consistent in the last two IPL seasons. He hasn't delivered much in white-ball cricket. Except that one century at the end, he didn't do anything last season. It was just a face-saving hundred,” he added.
Badrinath has downplayed LSG chances of a successful campaign in the IPL 2026, stating that their progress may depend on other teams delivering below-par performances. However, he did acknowledge the franchise’s strong overseas batting lineup, which includes players like Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, and Josh Inglis, all of whom bring significant firepower to the squad.
"They aren't a great side. More than them performing well, they have a chance only if other teams mess it up. But they have great overseas batters and a decent bowling lineup as well," said Badrinath.
LSG finished in the top four during the IPL 2022 and 2023 seasons but failed to qualify for the playoffs in the last two editions. They will be aiming to make a strong start to their IPL 2026 campaign when they take on Delhi Capitals on April 1.
