'The pressure and responsibility of captaincy is slowly making us lose Rishabh Pant, the batter.'
Key Points
- 'Runs are not coming from his bat in the ratio they should for a top-class player.'
- 'Pant is also losing out on tactical moves.'
- 'He should be utilised purely as a batter, and that will be better for the team as well.'
The 2026 season of the Indian Premier League has been far from ideal for Rishabh Pant. His struggles with the bat have only deepened concerns that began in 2024, but midway through the campaign, scrutiny has also shifted to his leadership.
Those questions grew louder after Lucknow Super Giants slumped to a sixth straight defeat -- their seventh overall -- with a loss to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede stadium, leaving LSG rooted to the bottom of the table.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Rohan Gavaskar revisited the high expectations set by franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka following Pant's big-money acquisition ahead of the 2025 season. Goenka had hoped Pant would soon be spoken of in the same breath as Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma -- two of the most successful captains in IPL history -- but that promise is yet to materialise.
Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary, part of the same panel, highlighted a key tactical gap between Pant and the decorated duo.
Reflecting on the defeat to Mumbai, Tiwary pointed out that young pacer Prince Yadav was the only bowler who stood out for Lucknow. On a night when most bowlers conceded runs at nearly 12 an over, the uncapped Indian maintained control with an economy of eight, despite not picking up a wicket.
Tiwary attributed that discipline to Yadav's consistent execution of yorkers -- a tactic the rest of the attack failed to replicate. He stressed that such clarity should have come from the captain and even suggested Pant could have explored bench options, including Arjun Tendulkar, who has been seen bowling yorkers in training.
'Pant could have brought in Arjun Tendulkar'
'Pant is also losing out on tactical moves. In the match against Mumbai, Prince Yadav was the only economical bowler, and that was because he was executing yorkers. As a captain, you should have told the other bowlers to follow that plan,' Tiwary said.
'I even saw videos on social media, posted by LSG, showing Arjun Tendulkar bowling yorkers in the nets. So Pant could have brought him in. This is where M S Dhoni and Rohit Sharma are different as captains,' Tiwary added.
Arjun is yet to feature for Lucknow this season after being traded from Mumbai ahead of the tournament for Rs 30 lakh. Overall, he has played just five IPL matches since debuting in 2023, picking up three wickets across his appearances.
With Lucknow's playoff hopes all but over, the remaining matches could offer an opportunity to test their bench strength and plan ahead.
Pant feeling captaincy burden
'The pressure and responsibility of captaincy is slowly making us lose Rishabh Pant, the batter. Because he is a high-quality batter who has proven himself time and again in international cricket and the IPL as well.
'Runs are not coming from his bat in the ratio they should for a top-class player. For example, it should be a 3:1 ratio -- if you play three innings, there must be one big score. Only then are you seen as a great player. I always say that players have to prove their calibre through their innings.
'Now, that time has come for him too. I also want him to be relieved of the captaincy responsibility. He should be utilised purely as a batter, and that will be better for the team as well.'
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