Rishabh Pant has been named the new captain of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Lucknow SuperGiants (LSG), the team announced on Monday. The decision comes as LSG gears up for the upcoming IPL season, set to begin on March 21. The franchise sought a new leader after parting ways with K.L. Rahul ahead of the November 2024 mega auction.
Rishab was acquired by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for an unprecedented amount of ₹27 crore during the IPL mega auction held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last year. He will team up with head coach Justin Langer to lead the side in the upcoming season.
Ahead of the auction, LSG retained five key players: Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Ayush Badoni, and Mohsin Khan.
Previously, Pant was a part of the Delhi Capitals setup since 2016 and took over as captain in 2021, replacing an injured Shreyas Iyer. He continued to lead the Capitals in IPL 2022 but was released by the franchise before the latest auction.
Rishabh Pant made a remarkable comeback in IPL 2024 after recovering from severe injuries sustained in a car accident in December 2022. Upon his return, he was reinstated as captain of the Delhi Capitals, scoring 446 runs in what became another average season for the team.
Pant's strong performance in IPL 2024 earned him a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad last year, where the team emerged victorious. This marked his return to the T20I format after a prolonged absence since the accident.
The 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has an impressive IPL record of 3,284 runs in 111 matches.