Every time Pant has worn the armband in the IPL, his runs have dried up. It’s happened with Delhi Capitals across three seasons. It happened again at Lucknow Super Giants. In IPL 2026, he managed 312 runs in 14 matches at an average of 28.36 a fraction of what he produces when batting without the captaincy burden. LSG’s Global Director of Cricket Tom Moody has already flagged a reset. The numbers make it hard to argue against him.
Pant Without the Armband
The 2018 IPL season remains the clearest picture of what Pant is capable of when batting freely. With Delhi Capitals, unburdened by leadership, he scored 684 runs at an average of 52.61 and a strike rate of 173.60, including a career-best 128 not out. In 2019 he followed that with 488 runs at a strike rate of 162.66, and 343 runs in 2020. Those three seasons established him as one of the most destructive middle-order batters in T20 cricket. The common thread across all three was simple: he had no captaincy responsibilities. He could bat on instinct, take risks early, and play the way that made him genuinely difficult to bowl at.
Rishabh Pant IPL 2026 Captaincy Batting Impact at LSG
The season-by-season data makes the pattern impossible to ignore.
Season | Runs | Captain? |
2016 | 198 | No |
2018 | 684 | No |
2019 | 488 | No |
2020 | 343 | No |
2021 | 419 | Yes |
2022 | 340 | Yes |
2024 | 446 | Yes |
2025 | 269 | Yes |
2026 | 312 | Yes |
Every season Pant has captained an IPL side, he’s finished below 500 runs. In 2021, his strike rate fell to 128.52, far below his non-captaincy benchmarks. In 2022, his aggregate dropped to 340. Even in 2024, a season where he returned from a serious injury, he managed only 446. At LSG in 2026, it got worse: 312 runs in 14 matches, average 28.36, strike rate 138.05, high score 68 not out.
What Tom Moody Said
LSG finished bottom of the table in 2026, winning just four matches. Across Pant’s two seasons as captain, 2025 and 2026, the franchise won 10 of 28 matches. Tom Moody didn’t mince words after the campaign ended:
“From a captaincy point of view, 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 with his performance with the bat.” — Tom Moody
Moody concluded that LSG is “needing to consider a reset.” The ₹27 crore price tag added a layer of expectation that compounded the tactical burden. Pant’s 2025 season yielded just 269 runs despite an iconic 118 not out against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a reminder of what he produces when the innings demands instinct over caution. That version of Pant and the version carrying a struggling franchise’s captaincy simply haven’t coexisted.
If LSG strips Pant of the captaincy for IPL 2027, do you think the 2018 version of him comes back? Drop your take in the comments.
FAQs
How many runs did Rishabh Pant score in IPL 2026?
Rishabh Pant scored 312 runs in 14 matches for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026. His average settled at 28.36 with a strike rate of 138.05 and a high score of 68 not out.
Why did Rishabh Pant struggle as LSG captain in IPL 2026?
The combined weight of a ₹27 crore price tag and captaincy responsibilities pushed Pant into a conservative role that stripped away the instinctive batting that defines him at his best. LSG won just four matches in 2026, finishing bottom of the table under his leadership.
What is Rishabh Pant’s batting average in IPL 2026?
Pant’s batting average in IPL 2026 was 28.36 across 14 matches for Lucknow Super Giants. That compares poorly to his non-captaincy peak of 52.61 in 2018, when he scored 684 runs for Delhi Capitals.
Will Rishabh Pant be removed as LSG captain after IPL 2026?
LSG’s Global Director of Cricket, Tom Moody, strongly hinted at a leadership overhaul, saying the franchise is “needing to consider a reset” after two underwhelming seasons under Pant. The Rishabh Pant IPL 2026 captaincy batting impact data, five consecutive sub-500 seasons as captain, give LSG every statistical reason to act.