Rishabh Pant to lead Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025

Rishabh Pant is set to become the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for IPL 2025 after being bought for a record INR 27 crore (approximately USD 3.21 million) at the November 2024 mega auction. This makes Pant the most expensive player in IPL history.  

The decision comes after LSG decided not to retain their former captain, KL Rahul, who led the team for three seasons starting in 2022. Under Rahul’s leadership, LSG reached the playoffs in their first two seasons but failed to reach the finals. In 2024, they finished a disappointing seventh on the table.  

Pant’s Journey to LSG  
Pant, who captained the Delhi Capitals (DC) from 2021, chose to re-enter the auction after discussions with DC fell through. While DC wanted to retain him, they were uncertain about continuing with him as captain. This marks Pant’s second stint as a franchise captain.  

At the auction, LSG faced tough competition from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and eventually secured Pant by raising their bid to INR 27 crore to outbid DC’s right-to-match challenge.  

Revamped LSG Squad  
Ahead of the auction, LSG retained key players including Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Ayush Badoni, Mohsin Khan, and Mayank Yadav. The team also added overseas stars like David Miller, Mitchell Marsh, and Aiden Markram, along with Indian pacers Akash Deep and Avesh Khan.  

Pant will now work under the guidance of head coach Justin Langer and new team mentor Zaheer Khan. Speaking about his excitement, Pant previously mentioned looking forward to collaborating with Langer, whom he interacted with during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.  

With a refreshed squad and Pant’s dynamic leadership, LSG aims to make a strong comeback in IPL 2025.