Rishabh Pant on Friday (May 29) stepped down as the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He requested to be relieved of leadership duties following the franchise's dismal IPL 2026 campaign.
LSG's Director of Cricket, Tom Moody, confirmed that the team management respectfully accepted the wicketkeeper-batter's resignation with immediate effect.
“Rishabh approached the franchise with this request and we have respectfully accepted it. These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for everything Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as captain. Our focus now is on the collective - rebuilding and restructuring to reach the best standards,” said Moody in a statement.
The southpaw was roped in for an astronomical Rs 27 crore during the IPL 2025 mega auction, but he managed just over 500 runs across both seasons with the franchise.
Under his leadership, the Super Giants endured back‑to‑back disappointing campaigns, with the side finishing seventh last season and slipping further this year by ending at the bottom of the points table. Overall, Pant managed 10 wins and 18 defeats as the LSG skipper across two editions.
Speaking to IANS, a franchise official said that Rishabh Pant's decision to quit captaincy just six days after LSG’s last league stage match isn't a big surprise.
“Rishabh was very clear about leaving as LSG's captain right after the tournament ended. From his perspective, the vision he had for the team as the captain, it just wasn't translating into reality. Also, it was becoming too much for him to balance things as captain while his primary skillsets, especially his batting form, wasn't at its best.
“It's also understood that Rishabh told the LSG coaching staff and management that it would be selfish of him to continue as captain after yet another disappointing season. Plus, he wants to prioritise his batting in the longer run, considering he is not an automatic pick in the Indian side in white-ball formats,” the official stated.
Pant openly admitted during the season that the excessive input and clutter from the leadership group made his on-field decision-making difficult. His departure from the captaincy aligns with Tom Moody's hints at a necessary "leadership reset" following a disappointing end to the season.
“One key thing to note is that Rishabh has high standards, and if he doesn't touch them, either as a batter, keeper or captain, he will quickly realise it before anyone tells him. Moreover, Rishabh was clear that he did not wish to wait until the trading window opened or retention discussions for the next season commenced to speak to coaches and management on his future as LSG captain.
“There was also this feeling within Rishabh that he let down LSG fans too as a leader, and that weighed heavily on him as well. So, ultimately, it was a mixed bag of factors behind him leaving the captaincy and subsequently, the franchise also accepted his desire to let go of the leadership armband and allow Rishabh to concentrate on his batting,” added the official.
(With IANS Inputs)
