Last Updated:
Rishabh Pant has vowed to give his 200 per cent commitment after being unveiled as the captain of Lucknow Super Giants.
IPL: Rishabh Pant is the new Lucknow Super Giants captain (X)
Rishabh Pant was on Monday named the captain of Lucknow Super Giants for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and he vowed to give his “200 percent” to win the team’s maiden title.
Pant was picked at the mega auction for an IPL record Rs 27 crore by the franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka.
“Thank you to LSG family for showing faith in me. I will give my 200% and that’s my commitment to you. I will try whatever is in my power to repay the faith you have shown. Looking forward to have a new beginning with new energy and just have a blast out there, and have lots of fun,” said Pant in a press conference in Kolkata alongside principal team owner Sanjiv Goenka and mentor Zaheer Khan.
Pant will now be LSG’s fourth captain in their history of playing in the IPL after KL Rahul, Nicholas Pooran and Krunal Pandya. He takes over from Rahul, who was at the helm since 2022 but moved to Delhi Capitals (DC) after entering the auction. This will be the second IPL team Pant will be captaining after previously leading Delhi Capitals.
Pant had been DC’s captain from 2021 to 2024 editions of the IPL, barring the 2023 season, which he missed due to recovery from various injuries sustained in a life-threatening car accident in December 2022.
But ahead of the IPL 2025 retention deadline, he was released by DC, with the leadership role being the main reason behind his nine-year association with the franchise ending on October 31.
Asked about his new team going the distance in the next IPL, Pant sounded optimistic.
“Definitely happy with the team. We have a mix of youth and experienced players. We have not been where we wanted to be… that’s the journey how we can take this franchise to newer heights.
“I know it’s a new beginning for me, new franchise, new owner. The ideology of captaining the side doesnt change. We will add a lot of things which we will discuss with the management and will see how we would take this forward in a better way.”
Speaking about his captaincy mantra, “I’ve learnt from a lot of captains, seniors. You don’t only learn from captains, a lot of senior players are also there.
“With Rohit bhai you learnt how to care of a player. If you give confidence and trust he will do things which you can’t imagine. That’s the kind of ideology we will have. We will have a clear communication and a never-say-die attitude.
“How far are you willing to take it. That’s the kind of character we are looking for in our team.” Pant added.
ALSO READ | ‘Rishabh Pant Will Be The Best Captain IPL Has Seen’: LSG Owner Sanjiv Goenka Sets Mammoth Expectations
In a show on Star Sports, while unveiling Pant as LSG’s captain, Goenka predicted that the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter has all the ingredients to be one of the most successful IPL captains after MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.
“My thinking was that time will prove that he’s not the only most expensive player in IPL but he’s going to be the best player in IPL. I have never seen a player with so much hunger and energy; he has a casual style of leadership; it is almost like the boy next door.”
“I see a born leader in Rishabh Pant. He will probably be the best captain IPL has ever seen. People now say Mahi & Rohit are IPL’s most successful captains. Mark my words, after 10-12 years, it will be Mahi, Rohit and Pant.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
- Location :
Kolkata [Calcutta], India
