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Was Rishabh Pant sacked as LSG captain? Report claims Pant was held responsible for Lucknow Super Giants’ disastrous IPL 2026 campaign originally appeared on Cricket News.
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A fresh report claims Rishabh Pant was sacked as LSG captain rather than stepping down voluntarily.
Sources told CricBlogger that LSG held Pant “largely responsible” for their bottom-placed finish in IPL 2026.
LSG’s official May 29 statement had said Pant approached the franchise to relinquish the role himself.

Report claims Pant was held responsible for Lucknow Super Giants’ disastrous IPL 2026 campaign
Rishabh Pant’s exit from the Lucknow Super Giants captaincy may not have been as amicable as it first appeared.
A fresh report from Cricblogger claims the wicketkeeper-batter was sacked from the role by the team management, directly contradicting the franchise’s official version that Pant had chosen to step down himself after two underwhelming campaigns.
Pant, bought by LSG for a record Rs 27 crore in 2025, guided Lucknow to seventh and 10th-placed finishes across the last two IPL seasons.
The 2026 campaign, which ended with LSG at the bottom of the points table, has reportedly been pinned on the captain by management, which is seeking to move in a new direction.
When LSG announced the change on May 29, the messaging was diplomatic. Director of Cricket Tom Moody framed it entirely as Pant’s own call, an account the new report now disputes.
MORE: Rishabh Pant may return to DC from LSG in IPL 2027 trade but could face pay cut and no captaincy
What LSG said about Rishabh Pant’s exit?
In the official statement, Moody presented the decision as one initiated by Pant himself, thanking the player for his contribution while pointing to the franchise’s rebuilding plans for the future. “Rishabh approached the franchise with this request, and we have respectfully accepted it. These decisions are never easy,” Moody told reporters.
He continued, “We are grateful for everything Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as captain. Our focus now is on the collective, rebuilding and restructuring to reach the best standard.” However, a fresh report has challenged that account, alleging the removal was driven by the management rather than the player.
Sources told CricBlogger that LSG felt Pant was largely responsible for Lucknow’s poor showing in IPL 2026, where they finished bottom of the league phase.
“Questions are being raised over the haste with which Pant was removed as captain immediately after the IPL season. At the same time, Pant too appeared keen to secure a move elsewhere rather than continue with a franchise where he no longer felt valued,” the source told CricBlogger.
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Rishabh Pant’s move back to Delhi Capitals
The report added that once removed from the captaincy, Pant moved quickly to find a new franchise before agreeing to rejoin his former side Delhi Capitals.
With LSG satisfied by Kuldeep Yadav’s IPL 2026 output, the two franchises have reportedly agreed to a player swap that sends Pant to Delhi and Kuldeep to Lucknow.
According to the report, DC co-owner JSW played a significant role in pushing the deal through, driven by a strong desire to bring Pant back to the franchise where he first made his name in the IPL.
The allegedly forced nature of his LSG exit, if accurate, adds a layer of intrigue to a homecoming that now appears imminent.
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