IPL 2026: Pant hints at continuing as opener despite LSG defeat

Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant hinted at continuing at the top of the order despite his first outing as an opener in IPL 2026 not going as planned, as he reflected on his side’s six-wicket defeat to Delhi Capitals in their season opener at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday.

“Opening is a 50-50 call, but you’ll definitely see me in the top order,” Pant said, indicating his intent to take on more responsibility with the bat.

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Pant also spoke about his own dismissal, choosing to move on quickly rather than dwell on it. “The best way to recover from it is to ignore it. You can’t control it, and thinking about it puts you on the back foot,” he said.

Assessing the team’s overall batting performance, the LSG skipper admitted that the total of 142 was below par and left the bowlers with little margin for error.

“When you score 140, you try too much… if they play normal cricket, they win. A few extra wickets in the Power-play could have put them under pressure,” he said.

He further explained that while conditions offered some help early on, LSG failed to capitalise due to the lack of partnerships.

“There was help with the new ball, but we couldn’t get a partnership going. When you don’t have enough runs, you are forced to make certain calls, like using a batter to bowl a bit,” he added.

Pant also elaborated on the team’s batting approach and the role of Ayush Badoni, underlining the importance of flexibility in the middle overs.

“The idea was simple, he takes charge in the middle overs while I bat up the order. We wanted the left-right combination so they couldn’t settle with their left-arm spinner. I got out at the wrong time, Axar (Patel) still had an over in the Power-play, which could have helped us,” he said.

Despite the defeat, Pant pointed to the positives from the bowling unit, particularly the way the seamers exploited early movement to put pressure on Delhi Capitals’ top order.

LSG’s pace attack made early inroads, with Mohammed Shami dismissing KL Rahul for a duck, while Mohsin Khanaccounted for Nitish Rana. Young pacer Prince Yadav also impressed, removing Pathum Nissanka and skipper Axar Patel during a lively Powerplay spell.

However, the modest total meant Delhi Capitals were able to recover and complete the chase comfortably, leaving Pant to reflect on missed opportunities with the bat.