Former India, MI, and CSK player Ambati Rayudu has advised Rishabh Pant to quit captaincy of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) after an underwhelming IPL 2026 season. Pant, the most expensive player signed in an IPL auction, for INR 27 crores by LSG, has not fared well while leading the team in the last two seasons.

LSG failed to qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2025, finishing 7th on the points table, while they are likely to finish in the bottom two of the IPL 2026 points table. With a strike rate of less than 140 and only 581 runs in 28 games, the gifted wicketkeeper-batter's batting has also declined.

Rishabh Pant has been asked to resign as captain of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by Ambati Rayudu. Rayudu thinks that rather than attempting to adapt, the 28-year-old should "sit back and enjoy" since Pant's instinctive leadership style, such as that of MS Dhoni, could not be suitable for the LSG management.

“His (Pant’s) idol has always been MS Dhoni. 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," Rayudu stated on ESPNCricinfo.

Pant became increasingly vociferous in his post-match comments as LSG failed to qualify for the playoffs. After practically every setback, he appeared to obliquely criticize the team management, claiming that there were too many voices in his brain.

“Captaincy is a tough job; there is no point in doing it. Be happy in your life, play as a player, and score lots of runs. 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, or 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,” he stated.