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Rishabh Pant will play for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter was signed for Rs 27 crore by the Lucknow-based franchise in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Rishabh Pant to captain LSG in IPL 2025. (Picture Credit: X/@LucknowIPL)
Star Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was signed by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 27 crore on Day 1 of the IPL 2025 mega auction, which took place in Jeddah last year. The 27-year-old cricketer from Delhi entered the mega auction for the first time in his IPL career after parting ways with Delhi Capitals. The Indian star was announced as LSG captain for IPL 2025 on Monday by franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka in a special chat show on Star Sports.
After Pant was appointed as the new LSG captain, he dropped a big hint about his batting position. While speaking to Sports Tak, the left-handed batter said that he could open for LSG in the 2025 edition of the cash-rich league. Pant played as an opening batter for India in the 2016 U19 World Cup and also opened in the T20I series against New Zealand after the 2022 T20 World Cup in November 2022.
When asked if he is tempted to open for LSG in IPL 2025, Pant said, “Temptation toh hota hai bahut sari cheejo ka, but I think abhi 100% clarity nahi hui hai. Wahi discussion mai Zak (Zaheer Khan) bhai se kar raha tha ki abhi 100% clarity ke sath nahi decide kara ki open karna hai ya middle-order mai rehna hai. Because itne saal se jab aap middle-order mein khel rahe hote ho aur aapne acha kara hota hai, god has been kind, okay okay kar raha tha mai IPL mei. Toh jab itne saal se aap khel rahe hote ho toh ek certain role ke used to ho jaate ho, so I don’t want to make rash decisions ki external noise ye hai chalo hum bhi kar lete hai. Because for me it’s my life, it’s my career, and this is something I live for. I don’t want to change it overnight, uske barey mein aur time lekar sochna chahta hoon. Discuss karunga abhi aur Zak bhai ke sath, Justin (Langer) ke sath aur discussion karunga ki kya kar sakte hai, kya nahi kar sakte hai and then eventually jo bhi decision hum lenge usko back karunga.”
KL Rahul opened for LSG in the last three seasons of the cash-rich league, but the 32-year-old right-handed batter was not retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, and he then joined Delhi Capitals for Rs 14 crore. It will be interesting to see if Rahul, who has led Punjab Kings and LSG in the past, is appointed as DC captain for the upcoming 2025 edition of IPL.
