Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant admitted that a lack of clarity around roles and constant chopping and changing within the batting order has hurt the team badly during their disappointing IPL 2026 campaign. Speaking at the toss before LSG’s crucial clash against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Lucknow on Thursday, Pant said the franchise had struggled to maintain clarity within the squad, something he believes played a major role in their poor season.
“The only thing is moving with more clarity. We know we are the top players, but at the same time, when clarity is missing sometimes, it can happen in cricket,” Pant said. “So most of the time, the talk is about clarity, and there are a few changes in the batting order, so hopefully we can figure out and take it for the next season,” he added. LSG find themselves in a desperate situation heading into the match. While RCB sit third on the IPL 2026 points table with 12 points from nine matches, Lucknow have managed just four points in the same number of games and are staring at elimination from the playoff race. A defeat against Bengaluru would make LSG the first team to be officially knocked out this season, while an RCB victory would take them to the top of the standings ahead of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings. Pant, who has been under immense pressure both as captain and batter, also stressed the importance of maintaining stability within a T20 side, though he admitted that the team had been forced to explore changes due to their position in the tournament. “Having a stable environment in T20 cricket is essential, but at the same time, when the changes are needed, you should be able to change something, because every time, doing the same thing might not give you the same outcome,” Pant explained. “So trying sometimes, especially where we stand now, trying is not a bad option for sure,” he added. Pant also gave his assessment of the Lucknow surface before the must-win clash and predicted a comparatively better batting wicket than what teams have experienced at the venue this season. “It looks like 180-190 wicket for sure. It’s a better wicket than a lot of the matches for sure,” he said. The season has been equally difficult for Pant personally. The wicketkeeper-batter has struggled to make a major impact with the bat and has scored 204 runs in nine matches at an average of 25.50 and a strike rate of 128.30.
