Rishabh Pant has stepped down as the captain of Lucknow Super Giants following the franchise’s disastrous IPL 2026 campaign. LSG confirmed the development on Friday, stating that Pant requested to be relieved of captaincy duties and the management accepted his decision with immediate effect.
Pant was bought by Lucknow for a record Rs 27 crore during the IPL 2025 auction and was expected to lead the side into a new era. However, his two-year stint as skipper failed to deliver the desired results as the franchise missed the playoffs in both seasons.
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Lucknow endured a miserable IPL 2026 season, finishing at the bottom of the points table with just four wins from 14 matches. Their IPL 2025 campaign was also disappointing as the side managed only six victories in 14 games. Overall, Pant registered just 10 wins in 28 matches as captain of the franchise.
In a statement released by the team, LSG confirmed Pant’s decision. “Lucknow Super Giants wish to formally announce that Rishabh Pant has requested to be relieved of his captaincy duties with the franchise, and the franchise has accepted his request with immediate effect,” the statement read.
Pant also struggled with the bat during his tenure with the franchise. After scoring 446 runs for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, the wicketkeeper-batter could not replicate that form for Lucknow. He managed 269 runs in IPL 2025 and followed it with 312 runs in the 2026 season.
LSG mentor Tom Moody said the franchise respected Pant’s decision and thanked him for his contribution. He added that the team’s focus would now shift towards rebuilding and restructuring ahead of the next season.
Lucknow now face a crucial decision regarding their next captain, with Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran emerging as possible candidates for the role.
