Star India wicket keeper-batter Rishabh Pant is likely to be named the skipper of the Sanjika Goenka-owned Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise ahead of the Indian Premier League 2025 edition as reported by ESPNcricinfo. Right-hand batter KL Rahul was not retained by the Lucknow franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction despite taking the team to the playoffs in their first two editions of the cash-rich league.
After not retaining Rahul, the LSG team had two options to select for the role between Pant and Shreyas Iyer, so the franchise and management opted to go with the former.
Pant became the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), being bought by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a massive Rs 27 crores during the IPL 2025 mega auction at Jeddah.
The LSG franchise would be the second team in this tournament after Delhi Capitals (DC). He beat compatriot Shreyas Iyer, who had just become the most expensive player in the league's history, going to Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Rs 26.75 crores a few minutes back.
He had beat Australia's Mitchell Starc, who marked his return to IPL after years with a record-breaking bid of Rs 24.75 crores. Initially, there was a bidding war between LSG and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), with the latter giving up.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) entered the bidding war, trying to bolster their explosive batting attack and DC tried to use the 'Right To Match' card, but they could not match the value LSG put for Pant, breaking the bank for him and going beyond Iyer's value. Pant has represented Delhi Capitals for his entire IPL career since 2016, scoring 3,284 runs in 110 matches at an average of 35.31, with a century and 18 fifties.
He was appointed as the team's captain in 2021 and led them to playoffs in the same season. Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, LSG retained Nicholas Pooran, Mayank Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi alongside uncapped stars Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni. The Lucknow-based franchise finished their IPL 2024 voyage in the 7th place in the standings with 14 points after winning seven of 14 matches.
Lucknow Super Giants:
Batters: Aiden Markram, David Miller, Ayush Badoni (retained), Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke.
Wicketkeepers: Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran (retained), Aryan Juyal.
All-rounders: Abdul Samad (spin), Mitchell Marsh (pace), Shahbaz Ahmed (spin), Yuvraj Chaudhary (spin), Rajvardhan Hangargekar (pace), Arshin Kulkarni (Pace).
Spinners: Ravi Bishnoi (retained), M Siddharth, Digvesh Singh.
Fast bowlers: Mayank Yadav (retained), Mohsin Khan (retained), Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, Akash Singh, Shamar Joseph, Prince Yadav.
