How Rishabh Pant’s Rs 27 crore LSG move turned into an IPL disaster in just two seasons

Rishabh Pant’s two-year stint as Lucknow Super Giants captain has come under an abrupt cloud after the wicketkeeper-batter stepped down from the leadership role following another disastrous IPL season for the franchise. Bought for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore ahead of IPL 2025, Pant arrived in Lucknow as the face of a new era. However, the move has so far turned into one of the most underwhelming chapters in recent IPL history.LSG confirmed on Friday that Pant had requested to be relieved of captaincy duties, and the franchise accepted the decision with immediate effect. The announcement came after Lucknow finished at the bottom of the IPL 2026 points table, extending their playoff drought to two consecutive seasons under Pant’s leadership.When LSG broke the bank for Pant at the IPL mega auction, the expectations were enormous. The franchise made him the most expensive player in IPL auction history and immediately handed him the captaincy role, hoping he would lead the team into a new era. However, neither the results nor Pant’s own performances matched the hype surrounding the signing.In IPL 2025, LSG finished seventh on the points table and failed to qualify for the playoffs. Pant endured a poor season with the bat, scoring just 269 runs at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate of 133.17. His unbeaten 118 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Lucknow’s final league game saved his numbers from looking even worse and remained the only standout moment in an otherwise forgettable campaign.Things did not improve much in IPL 2026 either. Lucknow managed to win only four matches all season and finished last in the standings. Pant’s struggles with form continued despite constant changes in his batting role. Over the course of the season, he batted as an opener, at No. 3 and even at No. 4, highlighting the uncertainty around both his position and confidence.Pant eventually finished IPL 2026 with 312 runs in 14 matches. While those numbers were slightly better than the previous season, they still fell far short of expectations for a player carrying a Rs 27 crore price tag. He averaged 33.61 with a strike rate of 146.79 and managed only one fifty-plus score throughout the campaign.Beyond the IPL, Pant’s position in India’s white-ball setup has also weakened significantly over the last year. KL Rahul has firmly cemented his spot in India’s ODI side, while Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson have surged ahead in the T20 pecking order. Samson, in particular, strengthened his claim after a sensational T20 World Cup campaign where he scored 321 runs and won the Player of the Tournament award. Kishan, meanwhile, has returned to India’s ODI squad, further pushing Pant down the queue.The selectors have also removed Pant from the role of India’s Test vice-captain, with KL Rahul now taking over the responsibility. The decision was widely seen as another indication that Pant’s standing within the national setup is no longer as secure as it once appeared. With Pant now stepping away from captaincy at LSG, the franchise is expected to begin a fresh rebuild. Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh have emerged as the leading contenders to replace him as skipper heading into the next IPL season.