'I was ready..': Rishabh Pant on not batting vs CSK
What's the story
In a surprising move, Rishabh Pant did not come out to bat for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) during their chase against Chennai Super Kings. The decision was made even after LSG lost three wickets in quick succession. After the match, Pant explained that he wanted to give some game time to players who have not had much of it in the 2026 Indian Premier League. Notably, LSG are out of the playoff race.
Game plan
Pant explains his decision
Despite being padded up in the dugout, Pant stuck to his decision. He said, "See, I was ready to bat and the idea came up." He further explained that he was thinking about whether or not to go with this strategy as he still wanted to be out there on the field. However, sometimes you have to respect certain decisions made by the think tank.
Performance
Pant has batted at No. 3-4 this season
In IPL 2026, Pant has batted no lower than No. 4. Out of his 11 innings so far, he has batted at No. 3 seven times, No.4 three times, and once while opening. He has had a paltry season with the bat, scoring 251 runs at 27.88 (SR: 138.67). LSG also experimented with their opening combinations this season before settling on the current pair of Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis who put on a partnership of 135 runs at the top against CSK. The former made 90 runs as LSG chased down the 188-run target in 16 overs.
Team strategy
LSG's overseas-heavy top order
LSG's decision to fill the top order with overseas players was deliberate. However, it hasn't been consistent this season as Inglis has missed a large part of the tournament while Markram and Pooran haven't been among runs. Talking about this strategy, Pant said they wanted two overseas players to open the innings with Pooran batting at three.
Team dynamics
Frustrations of not being able to implement ideas
Pant also spoke about the challenges of implementing their thought process all the time. He said, "But at the same time, we take pride, and we are confident as a team." However, he admitted it can be frustrating when you know what you have as a team but can't implement things the way you want due to different thought processes.