Lucknow: Rishabh Pant is set to become the captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) before IPL 2025. Pant became the most expensive player of IPL in the mega auction in November last year, whom LSG bought for Rs 27 crore (about US $ 3.21 million).
India’s wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul led LSG for its first three seasons (from 2022). The team made it to the playoffs in the first two years, although it could not make it to the final. At the same time, the 2024 season was very bad.
LSG is the second team in IPL for Pant
LSG is the second team in IPL for Pant. Earlier, he started his career in IPL with Delhi Capitals in 2016. At that time Daredevils (earlier name of Delhi Capitals) bought him for 1.6 crores in the 2016 auction. Pant has also captained Delhi Capitals. He was made the captain in 2021. In 2022, he stayed away from IPL due to injury. He was also the captain of Delhi in 2023.
Before the auction, LSG retained five players
LSG had retained Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan, however, they were looking for an Indian player who could replace Rahul as captain. Pant was at the top of their list along with Shreyas Iyer. There was a competition between LSG and SRH to get Pant in the auction. Their bid reached 20.75 crores, later SRH backed down. LSG increased it to 27 crores to eliminate the right-to-match challenge from Delhi Capitals.
Players like Miller, Marsh and Markram also in LSG
Pant will be joined by overseas batsmen David Miller, Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram and Indian seamers Akash Deep and Avesh Khan in the new LSG squad. Pooran, Marsh, Markram and Miller were also potential captaincy options after the auction ended.
Pant will now work closely with head coach Justin Langer, whom he interacted with during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, and new team mentor Zaheer Khan.