IPL 2026: Can Rishabh Pant-led LSG turn their fortunes?
What's the story
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), one of the two franchises introduced in 2022, are in quest for their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title. After a disappointing run in IPL 2025, where they finished seventh with six wins and eight losses, the Rishabh Pant-led side will be determined to turn things around. Here's how their squad has stacked up.
Team roster
LSG squad for IPL 2026
Players retained: Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Prince Yadav, and Akash Singh. Players bought: Anrich Nortje, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mukul Choudhary, Naman Tiwari, Josh Inglis, and Akshat Raghuwanshi. LSG earlier traded in speedster Mohammed Shami and all-rounder Arjun Tendulkar.
Analysis
Strengths and weaknesses
The LSG's top order, featuring openers Markram and Marsh, looks strong. They further have the firepower of Pooran and Pant in the batting line-up. However, the middle order looks pale, especially as Josh Inglis will miss the majority of matches due to his wedding in April. Moreover, the lack of impactful all-rounders and finishers can derail their campaign. Although LSG have potent bowlers in Hasaranga, Shami, and Mayank, all of them are injury-prone. Even Nortje has a long injury history.
Information
Will Pant bounce back?
Skipper Pant has another fitting opportunity to bounce back in T20 cricket. 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.
Campaign
How LSG fared in IPL 2025
The Super Giants, under Pant, failed to qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs after winning only six of their 14 matches. Barring his final innings, Pant had a disappointing run after having acquired a record ₹27 crore deal. It is worth noting that Pant scored just 151 runs off 141 balls from his first 12 innings of IPL 2025. His strike rate was 107.09. Besides, the middle-order muddle played a role in LSG's disappointing run.