Rishabh Pant captaincy pressure hurting LSG? Tom Moody opens up on IPL 2026 slump

Rishabh Pant’s difficult IPL 2026 season continued against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday as the Lucknow Super Giants captain once again failed to convert his start, falling for 15 off 12 balls at Chepauk. But with LSG’s campaign rapidly slipping away, questions around Pant’s form are now increasingly getting tied to the pressure of leading the side through a disastrous season.

LSG have managed just three wins in 11 matches and now sit dangerously close to elimination territory, with their batting unit repeatedly failing to deliver despite carrying several high-profile names through the lineup.

CSK vs LSG: Scorecard | Highlights

Pant’s own season has mirrored that inconsistency.

The left-hander has scored 251 runs in 11 matches at an average of 27.89 and a strike rate of 138.67, numbers that feel underwhelming for a batter expected to anchor and accelerate one of the most explosive batting lineups in the tournament.

The bigger tactical conversation around LSG this season has also revolved around Pant’s batting position.

In eight of his 11 innings, Pant has batted at No. 3 or higher, a move that pushed Nicholas Pooran away from the role where he dominated IPL 2025. Last season, Pooran smashed 524 runs at a staggering strike rate of 196 while batting at No. 3, but this year he has struggled badly, scoring just 184 runs at an average of 16.72 and a strike rate of 124.32.

Speaking about Pant’s difficult campaign, LSG Global Director of Cricket Tom Moody admitted that the pressure surrounding high-profile IPL captains can often become overwhelming.

“I can't speak for him about how he's feeling about the expectation. I think every player, particularly [high] profile player, has pressure coming into the IPL,” Moody said during the press conference.

“It is the biggest tournament in the world so whether it's Rishabh Pant or anyone that's either captain or a senior player in the side that has got decorated careers at that point, they're under pressure.”
Moody also hinted that handling those expectations often becomes the defining factor in whether players thrive or struggle during a season.

“It's whether you can embrace that pressure and rise or you find it difficult to get traction,” he added.

HAS PANT'S BATTING POSITION HURT LSG?

One of the biggest talking points around LSG’s season has been their decision to consistently use Pant high up the order.

On paper, the move made sense. Pant is one of India’s most dangerous middle-order batters and someone capable of dictating games early if he gets going.

But in reality, the shuffle has disrupted the rhythm of multiple players around him.

Pooran, who was arguably one of the most destructive batters of IPL 2025 while operating at No. 3, has looked strangely subdued this year after being pushed away from his preferred role.

LSG’s batting overall has lacked clarity too.

Too often this season, the innings have either started slowly or collapsed through the middle overs once early wickets fell. The team has repeatedly struggled to build momentum phases, something that was once their biggest strength.

Against CSK, the pattern appeared again.

Pant got a start but never fully settled before Jamie Overton removed him, while the rest of the batting unit again failed to produce the sort of collective effort needed in a pressure game.
And that perhaps sums up LSG’s campaign more than anything else.

Individual flashes. Very little sustained rhythm.

HOW HAS PANT PERFORMED IN IPL 2026?

Pant’s IPL 2026 numbers are not disastrous in isolation, but they look underwhelming when placed against expectations, price tag and leadership responsibilities.

The LSG captain has scored 251 runs in 11 matches while striking at 138.67, but his innings have rarely carried the sort of game-defining control that usually marks Pant at his best.

More importantly, his dismissals have often arrived just when LSG needed stability.

There have been starts without conversions, cameos without match-winning impact and moments where Pant has looked caught between rebuilding and attacking.

That uncertainty has reflected across LSG’s season too.

Because while the side still possesses big names and explosive hitters, they have never quite looked like a settled batting unit through IPL 2026.

And as the playoff race begins slipping away, the pressure around Pant — both as captain and batter — is only getting louder.

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