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Before IPL 2027, the leadership picture in Lucknow Super Giants seems to be changing rapidly. With Rishabh Pant reportedly out of the franchise, LSG have started looking for a new captain to lead the team into a new cycle.
Although an official announcement has not been made yet, reports suggest that Australia T20I captain Mitchell Marsh has emerged as the leading contender for the role. If the move is successful, it would mark a significant change in strategy for the franchise which has previously been led by Indian wicketkeeper-batsmen like KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant.
Mitchell Marsh is sure to become LSG captain in place of Rishabh Pant.
Mitchell Marsh has reportedly become the frontrunner to become the next captain of Lucknow Super Giants. According to Cricblogger, the franchise is still waiting for the completion of some trade-related formalities before making a final decision, but Mitchell Marsh is currently being seen as the strongest candidate.
The Australian all-rounder already enjoys immense support within the setup. Former Australia coach Justin Langer and Tom Moody hold key positions at LSG and both are understood to be backing Mitchell Marsh for the leadership role.
The possibility of Mitchell Marsh becoming captain also fits the trend the ownership group has been following for years. During the two seasons when the owners ran the Pune franchise, they favored Steve Smith as captain ahead of MS Dhoni.
If Mitchell Marsh gets the job, he will join Pat Cummins as one of the few foreign captains in the IPL. It would also represent a departure from LSG’s previous captaincy model.
The move could also signal the beginning of a broader reset within the franchise after three disappointing seasons, in which LSG finished seventh in 2024 and 2025 before finishing IPL 2026 at the bottom of the points table.
Rishabh Pant likely to return to Delhi Capitals
Pant’s chances of opting out of Lucknow are increasing after ESPNcricinfo reported that Delhi Capitals and LSG are finalizing a deal between Pant and Kuldeep Yadav.
Once he gets the nod from the BCCI, Rishabh Pant will return to the franchise where his IPL journey began in 2016. In the proposed deal, Delhi Capitals will acquire Pant for Rs 15 crore, while Kuldeep Yadav is moving in the opposite direction.
The report states that Pant had informed LSG ahead of the IPL 2026 final that he intends to step down from the captaincy. The development came shortly after team director Tom Moody talked about the need to “reset” the franchise’s leadership structure.
Pant’s two-year tenure in Lucknow was never really successful. The wicketkeeper-batsman struggled as both captain and batsman and LSG failed to establish themselves as genuine title contenders during his tenure.
Returning to Delhi could give Pant a familiar environment and a fresh start. His previous stint with the franchise was much more successful both personally and as a leader. Meanwhile, for LSG, acquiring Kuldeep will strengthen the bowling attack which lacked consistency throughout IPL 2026.
Rishabh Pant’s IPL numbers with LSG
Pant reached Lucknow with huge expectations after becoming the most expensive player in IPL history in the 2025 mega auction. However, the results fell well short of the expectations of both the franchise and the players.
In the 2025 and 2026 seasons, Pant scored 581 runs in 28 matches for LSG. During that period he scored only two half-centuries and averaged 26.40 with a strike rate of 135.74.
His first season with the franchise was particularly disappointing. Pant scored 269 runs in IPL 2025 at an average of 24.45 and strike rate of 133.16. While there was a slight improvement in IPL 2026, where he scored 312 runs at an average of 28.36 and a strike rate of 138.05, these numbers remained well below the standards he set during his best years with Delhi Capitals.
This contradiction becomes even sharper when compared to Pant’s overall IPL record. In his career, he has scored 3,865 runs at an average of 33.60 and strike rate of 146.79. His explosive 2018 season, when he scored 684 runs at a strike rate above 173, remains one of the finest campaigns by an Indian batsman in IPL history.