IPL 2026: Ashwin Makes Bold ‘Folded Hands’ Plea to Pant Over Opening Role After LSG’s Defeat to DC

Ravichandran Ashwin has urged Rishabh Pant to continue opening for LSG despite a failed attempt vs DC. Ashwin asked the team to back Pant for all 14 games. The move has sparked debate, balancing Pant’s strong T20 record as opener against LSG’s previously successful opening pair.

The veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has made a humble plea to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant over his opening role following the team’s six-wicket defeat to the Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday, April 1.

Pant opened the innings alongside Mitchell Marsh, but the gamble backfired as the LSG skipper's stay at the crease ended soon after an unfortunate incident at the non-striker’s end. This was the second time Rishabh Pant opened the innings in his IPL career, with his last being in the IPL 2025 match against the Gujarat Titans.

Despite Marsh-Markram's opening success for LSG in the last IPL season, the team management opted for a change, promoting Rishabh Pant to the top in a bid to add more intent in the powerplay, a move that, however, did not pay off against Delhi Capitals, as he was dismissed for 7 off 9 balls after a run-out.

‘Please Open in Every Match’

Following the LSG’s defeat to DC in Lucknow, skipper Rishabh Pant was asked whether he would open throughout the season. In response, Pant stated that it was still a ‘50-50’ call, indicating the uncertainty over whether he would continue opening the innings throughout the season.

However, R Ashwin wanted the LSG captain to open the innings in all 14 matches of the league stage. Speaking on his YouTube channel ‘Ash ki Baat’, the former India spinner urged the team management to back Rishabh Pant to play as an opener with complete freedom in the powerplay.

“It was very unfortunate the way Rishabh Pant got out, and even more unfortunate the way he talked after the match. He was asked whether he would open the innings, and he replied 50-50,” Ashwin said.

“I request you with folded hands, please open in every match. Justin Langer, or whoever is there in the LSG team management, should go and tell Rishabh Pant to go out there and play freely in the powerplay. Go and play the entire 14 games as an opener," he added.

Rishabh Pant had a moderate outing in the last IPL season, amassing 269 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate of 133.17 in 14 matches.

The LSG captain was looking to revive his T20 form by opening the innings in the match against the Delhi Capitals, but his early run-out halted any momentum he hoped to build at the top, leaving Lucknow Super Giants under pressure early in the innings.

Should Rishabh Pant Open the Innings for LSG in IPL 2026?

Rishabh Pant’s promotion as an opener in the LSG’s opening match against DC has sparked intense debate over whether the team should persist with an aggressive but risky top-order reshuffle or revert to a more stable and proven opening combination, especially after the move misfired in the season opener.

In his T20 career, Pant played as an opener 23 times, aggregating 672 runs, including a century and three fifties, at an average of 30.54 and a strike rate of 158.49. Pant’s T20 record as an opener highlights his potential to succeed at the top, but also underlines the need for consistency if LSG are to fully benefit from the move.

Since Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh’s opening partnership success in the last IPL season, wherein the duo shared 574 runs, including a century and 4 fifties, at an average of 47.83 in 12 matches, the decision to break their successful opening combination and promote Rishabh Pant to the top has raised questions over whether LSG moved away too quickly from a well-settled and effective combination.

It remains to be seen whether Rishabh Pant continues as an opener in the upcoming matches or if the LSG returns to Marsh-Marsh opening combination, especially with voices like Ravichandran Ashwin strongly backing him to persist at the top.