IPL 2026: Is LSG Skipper Rishabh Pant’s Firepower Losing Impact? Concerns Over His Form Grow

Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant's form in IPL 2026 has come under scrutiny after another brief innings. Despite showing flashes of his aggressive batting, Pant has consistently failed to convert starts into significant scores, raising questions about his impact and consistency as the team's leader.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant’s form has come under scrutiny again after his 18-run dismissal in the IPL 2026 clash against the Gujarat Titans at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday, April 12.

After being put into bat first by the GT captain, Shubman Gill, the LSG posted a respectable total of 164/8 in 20 overs. Opener Aiden Markram led the batting with an innings of 30 off 21 balls, including 5 fours and a six. Nicholas Pooran (19), Rishabh Pant (18), Abdul Samad (18), and Mukul Choudhary (18) all got starts but couldn’t convert them into big scores as LSG’s middle order faltered again.

For GT, Prasidh Krishna led the bowling attack with figures of 4/28 at an economy rate of 7.00 in 4 overs. Prasidh Krishan picked up two wickets while conceding 32 runs at an economy rate of 8.00 in four overs.

Pant’s Inconsistent Form in Spotlight

As LSG posted a respectable total on the board after the fall of wickets at regular intervals, captain Rishabh Pant’s inconsistent performance in the first outings of the ongoing IPL has put him in the spotlight. In the IPL 2025, a debut season with the Lucknow Super Giants, Pant couldn’t justify his price tag of INR 27 crore, as he scored 269 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 24.45 in 14 matches.

In the ongoing IPL season, Pant has struggled to find his rhythm with the bat. In the opening match against Delhi Capitals, the 28-year-old was dismissed for nine runs before making a comeback with an unbeaten 68-run knock against Sunrisers Hyderabad. In the next two matches against Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans, Pant sored 10 and 18, respectively.

The pattern of inconsistency has continued to trouble Pant, with questions growing over his ability to deliver regularly for LSG this season. With 103 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 34.33 and a strike rate of 130.37 in four matches, Rishabh Pant has yet to find the consistency expected from a player of his calibre and leadership role.

In the last IPL season, Rishabh Pant concluded with a knock of 118 off 61 balls against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but the overall campaign was marked by inconsistency, with flashes of brilliance failing to translate into sustained form.

The inconsistent run of form has continued for Rishabh Pant across seasons, keeping questions alive over his consistency in the IPL. Having crossed just 100 runs after four matches despite batting at No.3 to revive his T20 form, Pant is still searching for the consistency and impact expected from the LSG skipper.

Firepower Intact, Impact Still Missing

Rishabh Pant is often known for unleashing his firepower and explosive batting at the top and middle order, but his recent form has lacked the same consistency and dominance, raising concerns over his impact in IPL 2026. Going by stats, Pant appeared to be struggling to convert starts into big scores despite getting set at the crease.

Out of 103 runs so far in the IPL 2026, Rishabh Pant scored 58 runs through 13 fours and a six, meaning around 56% of his total runs have come through boundaries. This shows that while Pant is still striking the ball aggressively, he is overly reliant on boundaries and has struggled to build long, consistent innings through rotation of strike and sustained partnerships.

Comparing his performance in IPL 2026 to the previous three seasons, 2022, 2024, and 2025, Rishabh Pant scored over 65% of his total through boundaries in each edition of the tournament, highlighting a continuing pattern in his batting approach. In the IPL 2025, the 28-year-old scored 70% of his total 269 runs, but his overall returns remained inconsistent.

Rishabh Pant’s dip has raised concerns over his consistency and ability to anchor innings, with his recent scores failing to reflect his reputation as a match-winner in the IPL. The LSG skipper often relies on boundaries to score quickly but has struggled to convert starts into big, match-winning knocks.

Pant’s boundary-heavy approach, rather than a balanced scoring method, highlights his reliance on aggressive strokeplay, which has delivered quick runs but not enough sustained, match-defining innings for LSG in IPL 2026.