Rishabh Pant to captain Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025
What's the story
Star India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will lead the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, as per ESPNcricinfo . The move comes after KL Rahul, who led LSG to the playoffs in their first two seasons, was not retained by the franchise ahead of this year's mega auction. Here are further details.
Record-breaking deal
Pant becomes IPL's most expensive player
Pant has made history by becoming the most expensive player in IPL's history. He was bought by LSG for a staggering ₹27 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah. This record-breaking deal beats Shreyas Iyer's contract with Punjab Kings (PBKS) at ₹26.75 crore, and Mitchell Starc's return to IPL after several years with a bid of ₹24.75 crore.
Career overview
Pant's IPL journey and performance
Pant has been a consistent performer in the IPL since his debut in 2016, playing for Delhi Capitals (DC). He has scored 3,284 runs in 110 matches at an average of 35.31, including one century and 18 half-centuries. Pant was made DC's captain in 2021 and he led them to the playoffs that season. However, he missed the captaincy during the 2023 season due to a car accident.
Team roster
LSG's team composition for IPL 2025
Ahead of the mega auction, LSG retained Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav, and Ravi Bishnoi along with uncapped players Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni. The team also features batters like Aiden Markram and David Miller. Apart from Pant, the franchise has wicketkeepers Nicholas Pooran and Aryan Juyal. The all-rounders' squad includes Abdul Samad (spin), Mitchell Marsh (pace), Shahbaz Ahmed (spin), Yuvraj Chaudhary (spin), Rajvardhan Hangargekar (pace) and Arshin Kulkarni (Pace).