Watch: “He hasn't reached the heights" — Tom Moody breaks silence on Rishabh Pant's LSG captaincy resignation

The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) stated that their captain of the last two seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rishabh Pant, has decided to step down as the captain after the team finished at the bottom of the league standings of the 2026 edition.

The wicket-keeper informed the franchise of his decision as the development was revealed via a statement from their director of cricket, Tom Moody. Even as a batter, the southpaw has struggled to crack the two seasons, which hasn’t helped the franchise either.

Tom Moody speaks out: What LSG's director of cricket really said about Pant's captaincy exit

During an interaction on ESPNcricinfo, Moody reflected on the situation and claimed that the decision was made on the basis of both parties’ future. They hope Pant will get the freedom in the future and play the aggressive brand of cricket he has been known for.  

Watch Tom Moody's reaction on Rishabh Pant LSG captaincy resignation- 

“I think at the end of the day, I think Rishabh has recognized that, you know, it’s time to move on from the captaincy for now, and focus as the player. You know, the last couple of years have been tough for him personally. He hasn’t reached the heights that he would expect of himself.” The former IPL coach expressed.

“So, I think it’s the right decision. Certainly, the right decision for him. It’s the right decision for the franchise. And you know, this is the corner that he turns that enables him to play that brand of cricket that we recognize alongside him.” Moody addressed the situation.

INR 27 crore, 2 seasons, 0 Playoffs — The numbers behind Pant's LSG captaincy disaster

The veteran India star, Rishabh Pant, came into the franchise for a massive price of INR 27 crore, becoming the most expensive buy in the history of the event. But his numbers were poor in the previous edition. 

The Uttarakhand-born smashed 269 runs in 13 innings of the last season at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate of 133.16. Out of those, his 118 runs came in the last innings against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at home.

See Also: Is Rishabh Pant leaving LSG? His cryptic post just set Twitter on fire

In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, the left-handed batter, who moved in different positions of the batting line-up, collected 312 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 138.05 with a solitary fifty, which came at the beginning of the campaign. With no playoffs and three 50+ scores in two seasons, the decision was always going to be made. 

Who captains LSG next? Marsh, Pooran, Markram — The contenders after Pant steps down

For the 2027 season, LSG will have to appoint a new captain. Mitchell Marsh could be a suitable option, having led the Australian side in the shortest format. Moreover, he has crossed the 550+ run mark in successive seasons of the competition at a strike rate of over 160.

See Also: Watch: Rishabh Pant's ‘F**king good team’ slip of tongue after LSG’s Playoff exit

Nicholas Pooran has had a nightmarish IPL 2026 with just 234 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 127.86, most of which came towards the end of the event. It will be hard for him to shoulder the burden and play his free game.

In the case of Markram, there is no guarantee of his being part of the side. If they go with Pooran, Marsh, and Josh Inglis and get an overseas pacer, then Markram will have to sit out of the eleven. So, all in all, Marsh should be the smart choice for captaincy after Pant’s resignation.