Rishabh Pant stepped down as captain of the Lucknow Super Giants after the franchise endured a disappointing IPL 2026 season, finishing 10th in the points table.
The Lucknow-based side announced on Friday that Pant had requested to be relieved of his leadership duties, with the franchise accepting the decision with immediate effect.
In a statement, the franchise said Pant had approached the management with the request to step away from the captaincy role.
Also Read: Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh: Who earns the most in Lucknow Super Giants' 2026 squad?
LSG Director of Cricket Tom Moody said the franchise had “respectfully accepted” Pant’s decision. Moody added that such calls are never easy and thanked the wicketkeeper-batter for his contribution as captain. He said the team’s focus would now shift towards rebuilding and restructuring.
Pant joined LSG ahead of IPL 2025 after being bought for a record Rs 27 crore at the mega auction in Jeddah. He was subsequently appointed captain of the franchise.
His first season in charge did not go as planned, with LSG winning six of their 14 league matches in IPL 2025. Pant also struggled for consistency with the bat, managing 269 runs in 13 innings. Despite the team’s failure to reach the playoffs, the franchise retained him as captain for the 2026 season.
The 2026 campaign proved even more challenging. Pant scored 312 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 138.05, while LSG registered only four wins from 14 league-stage matches and ended the season at the bottom of the standings.
With the captaincy position now vacant, South Africa T20I captain Aiden Markram and Australia T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh have emerged as leading contenders for the role.
The franchise could also consider Nicholas Pooran, who has previously captained the West Indies in T20Is and currently leads MI New York in Major League Cricket, or Josh Inglis, who has captained Australia in T20 internationals on multiple occasions.
First Published on May 30, 2026, 11:16:01 IST
