New Delhi, May 29 (H.S.): Rishabh Pant has stepped down as captain of Lucknow Super Giants following the team’s disappointing performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise officially announced the decision on Friday.

In an official statement, Lucknow Super Giants said, “Rishabh Pant had requested the franchise to relieve him of his captaincy responsibilities, and the franchise has accepted his request with immediate effect.”

Pant was purchased by Lucknow Super Giants for ₹27 crore during the IPL 2025 auction and led the team for two seasons. Across both campaigns, he scored a combined total of 581 runs. Under his leadership, Lucknow Super Giants managed to win only 10 matches out of 28 played over the two seasons.

The franchise’s Director of Cricket, Tom Moody, said, “Decisions like these are never easy. We are grateful for the contribution Rishabh made to the dressing room as captain. Our collective focus is now on rebuilding and restructuring the team so that we can return to the highest level of competition.”

Disappointing IPL 2026 Season for Lucknow Super Giants

The IPL 2026 season proved to be extremely disappointing for Lucknow Super Giants, as the team struggled throughout the tournament and finished at the bottom of the points table in 10th place.

The franchise played 14 league matches during the season, securing victories in only four games while suffering defeats in 10 matches. The team also ended the campaign with a poor net run rate of -0.740.

Lucknow Super Giants were among the earliest teams to be eliminated from the playoff race. Even at their home venue, Ekana Cricket Stadium, the team failed to meet the expectations of its supporters, with a series of underwhelming performances throughout the season.

Pant’s Individual Performance Also Fell Short of Expectations

Pant, who was bought for a record ₹27 crore in the IPL 2025 auction, failed to make a significant impact with the bat. He scored only 312 runs in 13 innings across 14 matches during the season. His strike rate of 138.05 was considered below expectations for a player of his T20 pedigree and aggressive batting style.

Poor captaincy decisions, inconsistency in batting, and an underperforming bowling unit have been widely regarded as the primary reasons behind Lucknow Super Giants’ disappointing campaign.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar