Rishabh Pant's experiment weighing heavily on form and LSG's fortunes
Rishabh Pant (Source: Getty Images)
Published - 25 Apr 2026, 11:08 AM• Read time - 12 mins
Rishabh Pant’s IPL 2026 campaign with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) has largely been a tale of struggle, experimentation, and misplaced batting slots. The flamboyant wicketkeeper‑batter, celebrated for his audacious strokeplay and ability to turn games on their head, has found himself grappling with inconsistency this season.
The numbers, when laid bare, tell a compelling story of a player searching for rhythm but perhaps in the wrong place in the batting order.
Pant’s returns this season have been modest compared to his career standards:
| Matches | Runs | Innings | Highest | Average | Strike rate | Fifties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 147 | 7 | 68* vs SRH | 24.50 | 132.43 | 1 |
His average of 24.50 and strike rate of 132.43 are well below his career benchmarks. For a batter who thrives on momentum and flair, these numbers reflect a player out of sync with his natural game. The fluency and consistency that once defined Pant’s batting are conspicuously absent.
IPL career numbers
Pant’s overall IPL career paints a different picture:
| Innings | Runs | Highest | Average | Strike rate | Centuries | Half-centuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 130 | 3700 | 128* | 33.63 | 146.94 | 2 | 20 |
These numbers underline Pant’s stature as one of the most impactful wicketkeeper‑batters in IPL history. His ability to dominate attacks, accelerate at will, and anchor innings has made him a household name.
Match‑by‑match breakdown (IPL 2026)
| Date (2026) | Opponent | Batting position | Runs (Balls) | Strike rate | Match result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1 | Delhi Capitals | Opener | 7 (9) | 77.78 | Lost (DC won by 6 wkts) |
| April 5 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | No. 3 | 68* (50) | 136.00 | Won (LSG won by 5 wkts) |
| April 9 | Kolkata Knight Riders | No. 3 | 10 (9) | 111.11 | Won (LSG won by 3 wkts) |
| April 12 | Gujarat Titans | No. 3 | 18 (11) | 163.64 | Lost (GT won by 7 wkts) |
| April 15 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | No. 3 | 1 (6) | 16.67 | Lost (RCB won by 5 wkts) |
| April 19 | Punjab Kings | No. 3 | 43 (23) | 186.96 | Lost (PBKS won by 54 runs) |
| April 22 | Rajasthan Royals | No. 3 | 0 (3) | 0.00 | Lost (RR won by 40 runs) |
The inconsistency is stark. Apart from the 68* against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the brisk 43 against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Pant has struggled to impose himself. His dismissal for low scores has become a recurring theme, leaving LSG bereft of solidity.
Batting position comparison (IPL)
Pant’s career numbers across batting slots reveal where he has thrived:
| Position | Runs | Innings | Dots | 1s | 2s | 4s | 6s | Balls faced | Strike rate | Dismissals | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opener | 132 | 6 | 41 | 35 | 7 | 17 | 2 | 103 | 128.15 | 4 | 33.00 |
| No. 3 | 698 | 21 | 135 | 156 | 31 | 68 | 34 | 425 | 164.23 | 17 | 41.05 |
| No. 4 | 2012 | 66 | 488 | 554 | 78 | 181 | 95 | 1398 | 143.91 | 57 | 35.29 |
| No. 5 | 803 | 31 | 167 | 229 | 36 | 61 | 43 | 536 | 149.81 | 24 | 33.45 |
His stats at No. 4 are emphatic: 2012 of his 3700 IPL runs, 54.4%, have come at that position. It is the slot that has defined Pant’s IPL career, offering him the balance between consolidation and acceleration.
Pant’s experiment with opening and batting at No. 3 has not yielded dividends in IPL 2026. His franchise, LSG, languishes at ninth on the points table with just two wins from seven games. In such a scenario, Pant’s best bet is to return to the position that has brought him the most success.
At No. 4, Pant has the platform to play his natural game. His record at this slot is not just impressive, it is career‑defining. The middle order allows Pant to dictate terms, counter spin, and accelerate against pace in the death overs.
Pant is a generational talent, but even the finest need to be deployed in roles that maximise their strengths. For LSG, a franchise still chasing its maiden IPL title, persisting with Pant at No. 3 seems counterproductive. A return to No. 4 could be the catalyst both Pant and LSG desperately need.
