Rishabh Pant Told To Quit Captaincy As Ex-India Star Namedrops 'MS Dhoni' In Big Verdict
Former India batter Ambati Rayudu has urged wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant to quit captaincy after Lucknow Super Giants' disastrous show in the IPL 2026. The Pant-led side lost to Punjab Kings by seven wickets in their final group game, with the team finishing bottom of the table with eight points from 14 matches. Following the defeat to PBKS in Lucknow, LSG's Director of Cricket, Tom Moody, hinted that a change in leadership could be on the cards for the franchise.Rayudu suggested that Pant should focus more on his batting and quit captaincy as his MS Dhoni-like 'instinctive' style of leadership might not seem to be working him."His (Pant's) idol has always been MS Dhoni. We have seen him talk about him, and MS Dhoni's captaincy is very, very similar. He is very instinctive, so he might be following that path, which the coaching staff might not be compatible with. So, there are so many things; unless and until we hear from Pant as to what his captaincy style is, we can only assume what he's going through or what he's thinking. But from the looks of it, he is very, very instinctive and impulsive sometimes. I think the best thing he can do is play as a player," Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo.Speaking during the post-match presser, Moody admitted that Pant has found things "challenging" in terms of captaincy."From a captaincy point of view, you know, he's found it challenging, obviously, and the results reflect that. And you do have to wonder whether that is a pressure that is reflected in his performance with the bat. I know that this season has been a difficult season for us, but we will reflect on it, we'll take time, we'll reflect on it. We will consider all things," he said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.He also admitted that the team has not "lived upto the expectation they expect of themselves" and "very serious consideration" will be taken with regards to the leadership of the franchise."But certainly we have not lived up to the expectation or the standard that we expect of ourselves. And certainly when it comes to the leadership of the franchise, it is certainly something that we will be taking some very serious consideration to, you know, what it looks like in the future. Like every department, when you reflect on a season, we will be making some considered decisions, but it certainly looks like we need to consider a reset," he added.(With ANI Inputs)Featured Video Of The Day
