Sanjiv Goenka rejected Rishabh Pant’s resignation as LSG captain, but a twist fo
An Unexpected Captaincy Saga in Lucknow
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have found themselves at the center of a major cricketing storm following a disastrous IPL 2026 campaign. After finishing dead last at the bottom of the points table in 10th place, star player Rishabh Pant officially resigned as the captain of the franchise on Friday. While the public resignation felt like an inevitable reaction to a catastrophic season, insiders knew that the cracks in the leadership had formed much earlier. A sensational behind-the-scenes drama has now come to light, revealing that Pant’s departure was anything but a sudden post-season decision.
The Behind-the-Scenes Drama: Multiple Resignation Attempts
According to prominent sports journalist Nikhil Naz of India Today, Rishabh Pant had actually checked out of his leadership duties long before the tournament concluded. The captaincy saga witnessed multiple layers of tension and desperate persuasion behind closed doors. Reports confirm that with four to five matches remaining in the league stage, Pant approached the LSG team management and franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka to express his desire to step down immediately.
At that critical juncture, Sanjiv Goenka intervened to prevent a mid-season collapse. Goenka advised Pant against making any hasty decisions in a state of panic, reminding him that bad seasons are an inevitable part of cricket. Goenka urged his star captain to remain calm, finish the season, and avoid reacting in the heat of the moment. Yielding to the owner’s persuasion, Pant temporarily returned to his duties.
However, the twist in the tale followed shortly after. Despite Goenka’s attempts to soothe the situation, Pant’s mind was made up. After playing a few more matches under immense pressure, the wicketkeeper-batsman returned to the franchise owners with the exact same request. He reiterated that he did not wish to lead the side any longer. Recognizing that Pant was firm in his decision and had already consulted with the coaching staff, the LSG management finally relented and agreed to accept his resignation at the end of the season.
LSG’s Desolate Run in IPL 2026
The captaincy crisis was a direct reflection of LSG’s absolute capitulation on the field. After a mediocre seventh-place finish in IPL 2025, the franchise desperately hoped to turn their fortunes around in 2026. The initial phase of the tournament showed promise, with Lucknow securing two victories in their opening three matches. However, the optimism was short-lived as the team suffered a complete system failure during the middle phase of the season.
LSG went on a disastrous losing streak, dropping six matches in quick succession. This catastrophic run effectively knocked them out of playoff contention, making them the very first team to be officially eliminated in IPL 2026. Although they managed to scrape together two consolation wins in their final five matches, it was far too little, too late. The 10th-place finish marked three consecutive seasons without playoff action for LSG—a bitter pill to swallow for a franchise that had successfully reached the playoffs in both of their inaugural seasons in 2022 and 2023.
Rishabh Pant’s Struggles with Bat and Leadership
Rishabh Pant’s tenure at Lucknow Super Giants will ultimately be remembered as a highly expensive disappointment. Pant joined the franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 season for a staggering fee of Rs 27 crore per year, earning him the title of the most expensive signing in the history of the Indian Premier League. With such a monumental price tag came astronomical expectations, none of which Pant was able to fulfill either as a tactician or as a primary batsman.
In IPL 2025, Pant struggled heavily, accumulating just 269 runs across 14 matches at an average of 24 and a strike rate of 133, despite registering one century and one half-century. While his numbers showed a marginal mathematical improvement in IPL 2026—scoring 312 runs in 14 matches at an average of 28 and a strike rate of 136 with a single fifty—it was still far below the standard expected of a marquee player.
Over his two seasons with LSG, Pant accumulated 581 runs in 28 matches, averaging a mediocre 26 with a strike rate of 136. A deeper analytical look reveals that among the seven specialist batsmen who served as full-time captains in both the 2025 and 2026 seasons, Rishabh Pant recorded the lowest batting average and the second-lowest strike rate. His inability to lead from the front with the bat severely crippled LSG’s middle order.
Langer and Pooran Retained Despite Overhaul
While Rishabh Pant’s exit marks the end of an era for LSG’s leadership, the franchise has opted not to execute a complete burn-it-all-down purge. Reports suggest that head coach Justin Langer and powerhouse batsman Nicholas Pooran have survived the post-season review. Despite the team’s dismal 10th-place finish, both Langer and Pooran are set to remain crucial pillars of the franchise as they attempt to rebuild their squad and find a new direction ahead of the next cycle.
