Let’s be honest – watching Rishabh Pant in IPL 2025 was pretty much the equivalent of watching your favorite rock star forget the lyrics to the song they are playing. The guy can sell a song and make noise; however, his season, and thinking LSG’s season, was just a little underwhelming and frustrating. With their playoff hopes very much failing, and high-priced acquisitions falling short of expectations, we are now left with a legitimate question of how Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will optimize Pant’s abilities post-IPL in route to the 2026 season? Spoiler alert, it’s not about which order he bats.
The Pant Puzzle: Why Role Clarity Matters
Let’s begin with the obvious – Pant is good when he is clear about his role. He has long made a strong impression as the fearless Firestarter at the top of the order, but this season LSG really tried to funnel him into a middle-order muddle and then unexpectedly did not see the results they had hoped for. It’s no different than asking Virat Kohli to bat at 6 – it just doesn’t happen.
It wasn’t about the position, it was about the absence of rhythm, the absence of purpose. One commentator had the perfect line: “Pant lost his tactical shape”. He was never permitted enough balls to structure an innings, nor was he permitted to punish the opposition from ball one- he was stuck in limbo betwixt anchor and finisher- it murdered his vibe.
Build Around Pant—Don’t Just Buy Around Him
Don’t think of batting positions the same as other teams who want to bat in the same position. Instead, get batsmen who complement him – bat in the order of 4-5-6, take singles, finish the innings, and not get in the way of Pant. This is how successful teams like Chennai and Gujarat don’t just create quality building blocks or a foundation
But what I think I would do to keep Pant in the fold, and allow him to have captained the team. I mean literally and figuratively, of course. Ask him what worked, what didn’t work, and what he thinks they need. This trust goes a long way- not just in terms of value to the organization, but also creates an opportunity to make Pant the best player he can be.
Read Also: KKR’s Batting Blunders
Leadership: Pressure or Potential?
Now it is time for the fun part. Is Pant a good leader for LSG? Some will think he looked tired and often distracted when he led this season, but it is more complicated than this. A poor season does not mean a bad captain, it just means a bad season at a bad time. We just assume a team will register a good season when a squad is not firing and expectations are high.
Instead of having a rather theatrical “Do you still want to captain?” conversation, my suggestion is for management to have an honest chat: allow the conversation to flow. Talk about the highs, the lows, and then try to figure out where his heart is at. Get him the players and the structure he needs to be successful. If not, that is also ok. Wherever the outcome lands, clarity will be key.
Even though LSG’s 2025 season was cut short in disarray, it didn’t have to be indicative of the future. Rishabh Pant is still one of the most dangerous T20 talents in the game – unleashing his full capability may be the 2025 missing link between another mid-table placement and a real title challenge.
What would you do if you were part of the LSG camp? Back Pant as captain, or rework the dynamic and build around him in a new role? Let us know you’re in the comments section!
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