Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant remains undecided about continuing as an opener in IPL 2026, despite strong numbers at the top of the order in T20 cricket.
Pant promoted himself to open the innings in LSG’s season opener against Delhi Capitals, but the move did not pay off as he was run out for just 7 runs at the non-striker’s end following a deflection from Mukesh Kumar off a throw by Mitchell Marsh.
Despite the early dismissal, statistics suggest Pant has been effective as an opener. Across 23 T20 innings at the top, he has maintained a strike rate of 159, including a century and five half-centuries.
However, the skipper indicated that the decision on his batting position is still not final. “It’s a 50-50 call, but you will definitely see me in the top order,” Pant said after the match, hinting at possible flexibility in the lineup alongside Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh.
Reflecting on his run-out, Pant downplayed its impact. “The best way to recover is to ignore it. You can’t control such things, and overthinking only adds pressure,” he said.
LSG’s innings suffered due to a lack of partnerships, which also influenced tactical decisions. Pant revealed that the team was forced to use Shahbaz Ahmed as an Impact Substitute following the collapse, limiting their ability to include a specialist spinner like Digvesh Rathi.
“We didn’t build partnerships, so we had to adjust. We were also a few runs short,” he admitted.
Pant also defended the decision to send Ayush Badoni ahead of power-hitter Nicholas Pooran. “The plan was for Badoni to take control in the middle overs, especially if we lost early wickets. Roles were clearly defined,” he explained.
While acknowledging that there was assistance for bowlers with the new ball, Pant felt his side failed to apply enough pressure. He also pointed out that conceding 16 wides proved costly while defending a modest total of 142.
“Extras hurt, but when you’re defending a small score, you tend to try a bit too hard,” he said.
On the other side, DC captain Axar Patel praised youngster Sameer Rizvi, who was promoted early after Delhi’s top-order collapse and went on to play a match-winning knock of 70 not out.
Rizvi credited the team management for backing him. “The coaches showed faith in me last season and told me I would bat at No. 4 throughout. When wickets fell early, Tristan Stubbs advised me to avoid unnecessary risks as the ball was swinging. The plan was to capitalise on loose deliveries,” he said.
With the tournament still in its early stages, LSG will look to reassess their combinations and bounce back stronger in the upcoming fixtures.