Image: Rishabh Pant has been named captain of the Lucknow Super Giants / © Cricket Addictor
For the IPL 2025 season, Rishabh Pant has been appointed as the captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) following his acquisition for INR 27 crore during the mega auction. Pant, known for his aggressive wicketkeeping and batting skills, replaces KL Rahul, who was the former captain of the franchise. LSG retained five players ahead of the auction, including Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Ayush Badoni, and Mohsin Khan. Pant’s appointment as the leader was part of the franchise’s strategy to find an Indian star who could lead the team.
Pant expressed his approach to captaincy, emphasizing the importance of focusing on the process and aligning team goals. He mentioned his proactive style of leadership, learned over the past couple of years, to better communicate with both Indian and international players. He said:
If you focus on process, results will take care of itself. I am someone who wants the team to win – that fun, environment, and joy it brings is not the same with individual performances. One aspect of my captaincy is to be very proactive. It’s something that I have learned more in the past 1–2 years. It makes communication with players better. There are a lot of international players – aligning the thought process with them – is the biggest challenge. It’s a give-and-take. I like to play percentage cricket. Sanjiv sir also has the same thought process. You don’t have to win every match – if you win 60-70 percent of your matches, you are still there. Over expectations shouldn’t ruin your season.
LSG’s owner, Sanjiv Goenka, praised Pant’s passion and leadership qualities, predicting that Pant could lead the team to 5-6 IPL titles during his career. Goenka highlighted that Pant’s unique thought process and connection with the players would make him one of the best captains in IPL history.