Will LSG retain Pant-Langer duo ahead for IPL 2027?
What's the story
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), captained by Rishabh Pant, were among the first teams to bow out of the IPL 2026 playoff race. Despite showing promise at times, their campaign never really took off. The team's strong fast-bowling unit was let down by underperforming batters. With a game to play, LSG will be looking to salvage some pride. It remains to be seen if the LSG management will back skipper Pant and head coach Justin Langer after another disappointing season.
Match performance
LSG's struggles with the bat
Despite a season filled with 200-plus totals, LSG only managed to cross this mark four times in 13 games. The team's home ground, Ekana Stadium, is known for low-scoring matches, but they lost most of them. They were bowled out for just 141 against Delhi Capitals (DC) and failed to chase down targets of 160 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) and 156 against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Player performance
Poor form of Pant and Pooran
Nicholas Pooran's poor form was a major talking point of LSG's campaign. In his first eight innings, he could only manage 82 runs at a strike rate of 81.19. Even though he scored a quickfire 63 against Mumbai Indians (MI), his overall strike rate remains just over 130. Captain Pant has also struggled with just one 50-plus score to his name this season.
Lineup instability
Lack of consistency in batting department
Apart from Mitchell Marsh, none of the LSG batters made an impact in IPL 2026. Aiden Markram, Josh Inglis, and Ayush Badoni were all part of a constantly changing batting lineup. While players like Mukul Choudhary and Himmat Singh showed promise at times, inconsistency remained a major issue for the team. Even Digvesh Singh Rathi went wicketless on multiple occasions while conceding runs at an economy rate of 10-plus.
Performance
How Pant, Langer have fared so far
Langer was appointed LSG's head coach ahead of the 2024 season, where the team finished seventh. The following season saw a change in LSG's leadership, with Pant being acquired for a record ₹27 crore. However, the tide remained static as LSG had another seventh-place finish. Barring a ton in LSG's final league game, Pant couldn't do much. LSG have now hit rock bottom. They are on the verge of a 10th-place finish in IPL 2026.