Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant has finally broken his silence on his surprising decision of not batting against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). ipl 2026 Clash in Lucknow on Friday (15 May). This move by Rishabh Pant surprised everyone, as he is already struggling badly with form this season.
Pant was fully padded up, sitting in the dugout, and ready to walk in, but left everyone shocked when he did not come out to bat during Lucknow Super Giants’ chase against Chennai Super Kings at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
LSG defeated CSK in IPL 2026 match, but questions were raised on Rishabh Pant’s decision.
LSG were chasing the target after a brilliant partnership of 135 runs off just 70 balls between Mitchell Marsh (90 runs off 30 balls) and Josh Inglis (36 runs off 32 balls). They looked to be in complete control, but after Inglis’s wickets, many expected Pant to come in and finish the game for their team.
Also read: Virat Kohli made a shocking revelation on modern T20 cricket
Surprisingly, the LSG captain remained in the dugout and was replaced by Nicholas Pooran, followed by Abdul Samad and Mukul Chaudhary.
Despite the fall of a few wickets, Pant did not bat as LSG comfortably completed the chase with seven wickets in hand and 20 balls to spare. Immediately after the match, everyone was speculating as to why the captain worth Rs 27 crore did not come to bat.
Rishabh Pant finally breaks silence on why he didn’t bat against CSK
Now, Rishabh Pant Finally explained the reason behind the decision. Pant admitted that he wanted to bat and was ready, but he had to accept the decision of the team management.
The Lucknow Super Giants captain revealed that the team management wanted to give a chance to players who did not get enough chances this season and he respects their decision.
Rishabh Pant, at the post-match presentation, as quoted by Cricbuzz, said: “I was ready to bat, and the thought came. I was in the dressing room, and the thought came, why not try players who haven’t played much? They haven’t got much opportunities. And that was the thought. I was thinking again and again, should I do it or not? Because I still wanted to be in the field, but sometimes you have to respect the decision of the think tank. So. That’s the thing.”
Also read: Will Mohsin Naqvi visit India? PCB chief called for ICC meeting during IPL 2026 final
Rishabh Pant reveals that LSG’s original plan failed and many opinions come forward in IPL 2026
Meanwhile, Pant revealed that Lucknow Super Giants From the beginning of IPL 2026, it had planned to use its foreign batsmen in the top order. The idea was to have two foreign openers bat at number three alongside Nicholas Pooran, and the captain regretted that this could not happen due to injuries and inconsistent performances.
Pant said, “Look, that was definitely the first idea. It is calling two overseas players to open the innings and having Nicky (Pooran) bat at number three. That was the idea. Sometimes it is difficult when a thought process is not being implemented all the time. But at the same time, we feel proud, and as a team we are confident.”
The LSG captain also hinted that handling different opinions inside the team setup made things even more challenging this season. He signed off by saying, “The only thing that can harm us is having too many thought processes.”
