Published on: Jun 17, 2026 5:17 pm IST|Updated on: Jun 17, 2026 5:17 pm IST
The 19th season of the Tata Indian Premier League may have been done and dusted, but India’s Test wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has still managed to stay in the limelight. Just days after Rishabh confirmed stepping down as the leader of the Lucknow Super Giants, one of the latest off-season developments around the same is that the wicketkeeper batter is likely to exit the franchise ahead of the next season, i.e., IPL 2027.
The sudden move has triggered intense speculation regarding whether the star player will choose to completely sever ties with the franchise and enter the next mini-auction as a pure batsman.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by IndiaFantasy (@indiafantasy)
A post shared by IndiaFantasy (@indiafantasy)
The chain of events began when Lucknow Super Giants released an official statement confirming that Pant had personally requested to be relieved of his captaincy duties. The franchise accepted the request with immediate effect, and LSG Director of Cricket, Tom Moody, noted that the team would now focus on “rebuilding and restructuring” to reach better standards.
However, in modern franchise cricket, when a marquee player relinquishes the captaincy after an underwhelming team performance, it rarely stops there. LSG’s campaign was a massive disappointment, with the team finishing at the very bottom of the points table after managing just four wins all season. Worse yet, the franchise suffered eight consecutive defeats on their home turf at the Ekana Stadium, draining the team’s momentum.
Insiders suggest that the immense pressure of leading a struggling side heavily affected Pant’s naturally free-flowing batting style. By stepping down, Pant may be freeing himself from administrative burdens, but many analysts believe this is the first tactical step toward leaving the franchise entirely.
If Pant feels the team environment or squad composition does not align with his long-term ambitions, requesting a complete release from his staggering ₹27 crore contract would allow him to hit the auction table, where multiple franchises would gladly break the bank for his services.
When the Lucknow Super Giants secured Rishabh Pant for a ground-breaking ₹27 crore, they expected the explosive, match-winning “X-factor” that defined his early career. Unfortunately, across his two-season tenure, the numbers show a significant dip from his usual high standards, as the heavy burden of captaincy and constant batting-order shuffles took a visible toll.
As the metrics show, Pant scored only 581 runs in 28 games across two years. His combined strike rate sat well below his career benchmark of nearly 147, showing how much he struggled to accelerate the innings in the middle overs for Lucknow.
There are quite a few teams that would want to have Rishabh Pant on board ahead of the Tata IPL 2027. Let’s take a look.
The former 3-time champions haven’t been at their best ever since winning the title in 2024 under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer. Mumbai’s veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane led the side in the last two seasons, and on both occasions, they failed to make it to the playoffs.
With Rahane reaching the twilight end of his career, Rishabh Pant could be looked at as a leadership option in the future for KKR. Also, the flexibility Pant provides in the middle order by batting at any position makes him a good prospect for the 3-time champions.
Rishabh Pant’s glorious years in the IPL came with the Delhi Capitals. The bond between Pant and DC’s co‑owner, Parth Jindal, is well known, making a homecoming ahead of Tata IPL 2027 a likely prospect. The only obstacle could be Pant’s hefty price tag. However, an all‑cash deal or a multi‑player trade could potentially pave the way for his return to DC.
As of right now, neither Rishabh Pant nor the Lucknow Super Giants management has explicitly stated that he is leaving the squad as a player. Legally, he remains a contracted member of the team. Former players and tactical experts have argued that retaining Pant strictly as a specialist middle-order batter and wicketkeeper could be a massive win-win scenario. Without the tactical pressure of defending totals and managing bowling changes, he could potentially rediscover the devastating form that once made him the most feared left-hander in the country.
However, the final decision will depend heavily on the franchise’s upcoming retention meetings and trade windows. If Tom Moody and the LSG management decide that a complete “hard reset” is required to wash away back-to-back disappointing seasons, they might agree to part ways cleanly.