India keeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been named as the new captain of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ahead of the IPL 2025 season. Rishabh Pant replaced KL Rahul as the LSG captain after Rahul was released ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

In the mega auction, Lucknow Super Giants went all out for Rishabh Pant and after a tussle with Delhi Capitals, bought the keeper for INR 27 crores. This made Pant the most expensive player in IPL history.

The announcement of making Rishabh Pant the LSG captain happened in Kolkata on January 20, 2025. Pant was present at the press conference along with LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka when the announcement was made.

“We had kept a budget of Rs 27 crore for Rishabh Pant. We were adamant at getting him (during the IPL auction).

Rishabh Pant isn’t just going to be the best player of LSG but of IPL itself. Never seen someone with so much passion. He’s the boy next door, his connection with the players, teams, and thought process is different. Conventional thought process lacks uniqueness. I see him as a leader. He will probably be the best captain IPL has seen,” Goenka said during the press conference.

“I am overwhelmed with what the owner has said. Whenever I have talked to him, he has made me feel the same. End up feeling better with every conversation I have with Sanjiv. Such words takes your commitment from 100 to 200 per cent,” Pant said.

This will be the second franchise Rishabh Pant captains in IPL, after Delhi Capitals.