Rishabh Pant quits as Lucknow captain after IPL flop

NEW DELHI: The most expensive player of the Indian Premier League, Rishabh Pant, has quit as captain of Lucknow Super Giants after it finished last in the T20 tournament, the team said on Friday.
The India Test match star has had a woeful season after being bought for $3.21 million at the 2025 IPL auction, making him the most expensive player in the lucrative league's history.
'Rishabh approached the franchisee with his request and we have respectfully accepted it,' Tom Moody, Lucknow's director of cricket, said in a statement.
'These decisions are never easy,' the former Australia all-rounder added.
'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 standards.'
Pant, 28, is the second India star to quit Lucknow captaincy after KL Rahul, who led the team from 2022 to 2024.
Pant scored just 312 runs from 14 innings at a strike rate of 138.05 this season, with his team finishing last on the points table with 10 losses and just four wins.
In the last season, Lucknow finished seventh out of 10 teams under Pant's leadership.
After Lucknow lost their last league game against Punjab Kings last week, the team management has indicated wholesale changes before the start of the next season. — AFP