IPL 2026: 'Rishabh Pant at his best,' says LSG coach
What's the story
Ahead of their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 opener against Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) head coach Justin Langer has backed captain Rishabh Pant to shine this season. The endorsement comes after a disappointing IPL 2025 season for Pant with the bat. Langer is hopeful that this year will be a turning point for the swashbuckling left-hander.
Coach's confidence
'Pant is at his best,' says Langer
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Langer said, "Well, Rishabh Pant is at his best. He is smiling, he is competitive, throwing punches and being aggressive." He recalled Pant's brilliant performance against Royal Challengers Bangalore last year and said that every player is under pressure to be selected. "There is pressure, and that is good. The diamonds will rise," he added while emphasizing the importance of competition in white-ball sides.
Performance review
Dismal numbers in IPL 2025
LSG had a disappointing run in IPL 2025, finishing seventh with six wins and eight losses. Rishabh Pant, who was bought by LSG for a record ₹27 crore, will be determined to turn things around. He also has a fitting opportunity to bounce back in T20Is. In IPL 2025, he scored 269 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate of 133.16. This includes a ton in LSG's final match.
Redemption quest
Can Pant bounce back this season?
Despite his disappointing returns last season, Pant continues to hold the match-winner tag. His stints with Delhi Capitals in 2017 and 2018 catapulted him into superstardom. He will be looking to make the most of his fitness and training sessions with cricketing legend Yuvraj Singh this season. As of now, Pant has 3,553 runs from 125 IPL games at a strike rate of 147.61 (2 tons and 19 half-centuries).