Rishabh Pant steps down as LSG captain in IPL 2026 after two tough seasons
Synopsis
Rishabh Pant's ₹27 crore captaincy experiment at Lucknow Super Giants is over. After two seasons of underwhelming results — 10 wins, two bottom-half finishes, and modest personal run tallies — Pant has stepped aside, with Director of Cricket Tom Moody framing it as the right call for both player and franchise. The real question now is who leads LSG next, and whether Pant even stays.
Key Takeaways
Rishabh Pant has stepped down as Lucknow Super Giants captain ahead of the post- IPL 2026 review.
Pant was bought for ₹27 crore at the 2024 mega auction — the most expensive IPL purchase at the time.
LSG won just 10 of 28 matches under Pant, finishing seventh in 2025 and tenth in 2026.
Pant scored 269 runs in IPL 2025 and 312 runs in IPL 2026, below his own benchmarks.
Director of Cricket Tom Moody confirmed the decision, calling it right for both Pant and the franchise.
Mitchell Marsh , Aiden Markram , and Nicholas Pooran are reported contenders for the captaincy.
Rishabh Pant has stepped down as captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, with the franchise's Director of Cricket Tom Moody confirming the move was driven by Pant's own recognition that focusing purely on his batting was the right call. The decision ends a difficult two-year captaincy stint that yielded just 10 wins from 28 matches and finishes of seventh and tenth on the IPL table.
Two Difficult Seasons Under the Belt
Pant, 28, was acquired by LSG at the 2024 mega auction for ₹27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL auction history at the time. The weight of that price tag, however, was never matched by results — either for the team or for Pant personally. He managed just 269 runs in IPL 2025 and 312 runs in IPL 2026, well below the explosive standards he had set earlier in his career.
LSG finished seventh in 2025 and tenth in 2026, prompting Moody to publicly call for a leadership reset at the end of the franchise's final league game this season.
What Moody Said
'At the end of the day, Rishabh has recognised that it's time to move on from captaincy for now and focus as a player,' Moody said in an interview on ESPNCricinfo. 'The last couple of years have been difficult for him. He hasn't reached the heights he would've expected for himself. It's the right decision — certainly the right decision for him, it's the right decision for the franchise.'
Moody added: 'I made the statement at the end of our last game that we needed to consider a leadership reset. And I think everyone knew that. In the last three years for the franchise, they've come seventh, seventh, and tenth. So we need to look at things.'
Who Could Lead LSG Next
Moody did not name a replacement captain, but senior overseas players Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Pooran are considered likely contenders. Notably, Markram already leads LSG's sister franchise in the SA20 and is expected to captain their side in The Hundred in England this year — experience that could give him an edge in the leadership race.
Pant's Future at LSG
On whether Pant would remain part of the LSG squad going forward, Moody was measured. 'We as a franchise recognise that the tournament's not even finished yet. It's going to take a long time for us to debrief and review the whole squad,' he said, adding that the franchise needed clarity on its playing identity and roles before making personnel decisions.
With the IPL season still concluding, LSG's full squad review — and any decision on Pant's future with the franchise — is expected to follow in the weeks ahead.
Point of View
But the franchise's broader identity crisis, three years without a top-four finish, will not be solved by a captain swap alone. Pant's story at LSG is also unfinished: whether he stays and rediscovers his best as a batter, or exits at the next auction, will say much about how both parties read these two difficult years.
NationPress
12 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Rishabh Pant step down as LSG captain?
Rishabh Pant stepped down as Lucknow Super Giants captain after two difficult IPL seasons in which LSG finished seventh and tenth, winning only 10 of 28 matches. According to Director of Cricket Tom Moody, Pant recognised it was the right time to step back from captaincy and refocus on his batting.
How did Rishabh Pant perform as LSG captain in IPL 2025 and 2026?
Pant scored 269 runs in IPL 2025 and 312 runs in IPL 2026, numbers well below his established standards as a batter. Under his captaincy, LSG managed 10 wins and 18 losses across the two seasons.
Who could replace Rishabh Pant as LSG captain?
Tom Moody has not confirmed a replacement, but Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Pooran are considered likely contenders. Markram already leads LSG's SA20 franchise and is expected to captain their side in The Hundred in England.
How much did LSG pay for Rishabh Pant at the IPL auction?
LSG bought Rishabh Pant for ₹27 crore at the 2024 mega auction, making him the most expensive player in IPL auction history at the time.
Will Rishabh Pant remain part of the LSG squad?
That decision has not been made yet. Tom Moody said the franchise would conduct a full squad debrief and review after the tournament concludes before deciding on all playing roles, including Pant's.
