Former Indian players Manoj Tiwari and Rohan Gavaskar have urged Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Rishabh Pant to step up and take over as captain after the team’s sixth consecutive defeat.
Rishabh Pant-led LSG lost to Mumbai Indians by 6 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. With just 2 wins in 9 matches, LSG is almost out of the tournament. Pant’s poor form with the bat is also a matter of great concern.
LSG lost six in a row
On Monday, May 4, LSG extended their losing streak in IPL 2026 to 6 consecutive matches after losing to similarly struggling Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium.
After MI captain Suryakumar Yadav decided to field first, Mitchell Marsh decided to force the bowlers to bat by scoring 45 runs. Although Josh Inglis could not make an impact on his return, Nicholas Pooran was promoted to No. 3 and displayed his usual hitting ability.
Pooran has been badly out of form in this year’s IPL but he showed signs of being back to his best when he scored 63 runs in just 21 balls. Despite this strong start, the middle order of Aiden Markram and Himmat Singh could not take full advantage of the starts, but LSG still managed to score 228 runs.
Rohit Sharma returned after a long injury and was immediately at his best. He and Ryan Rickelton scored 84 and 83 respectively, making the chase a comfortable walk in the park for Mumbai. Naman Dheer completed the remaining work after the dismissal of Rohit and Rickelton and gave MI its third win of the season.
Also Read: LSG Qualification Scenario IPL 2026: Can LSG still reach the playoffs after the loss against MI?
“Rishabh Pant should be freed from the pressure of captaincy” – Tiwary and Gavaskar
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Manoj Tiwary and Rohan Gavaskar expressed similar views about releasing Rishabh Pant from the captaincy.
“Sanjiv Goenka once said in an interview that he wants Pant to create a legacy, play for LSG for the next 10-15 years and win trophies. But sometimes you have to take some players out of the firing line. After this season, LSG will have to decide whether they want to keep him as captain or not. He should be allowed to focus only on his batting, as we all know his abilities and talent.
Gavaskar said, “When the team performs poorly, that pressure also falls on the captain. So free him from it and let him play freely.”
Manoj Tiwari also said that he also feels the same. He said that the team’s poor performance has started affecting Rishabh Pant’s batting as well.
“I think, under the pressure of captaincy, we are losing Pant as a batsman – someone who has done well in international cricket and IPL before. He is not able to score as many runs this season. So relieve him of the burden of captaincy and let him play completely as a batsman. It will be best for LSG,” he said.
Rishabh Pant’s poor form in IPL 2026
This year Rishabh Pant has scored only 204 runs in 9 matches. His runs have come at an average of 25.50 at a strike rate of 128.30.
He has scored only one half-century in the tournament, with a high score of 68*. Pant originally joined LSG in 2025, but he did not make any impact with the bat last year either.
lsg next match
LSG will take on RCB in their next match on May 7. LSG has already lost once to the defending champions this season.
With LSG almost eliminated, they only have the opportunity to play party-poopers as the defending champions look to consolidate their playoff push.