'He is underbusing the LSG management': Shaun Pollock on Rishabh Pant's ‘too many minds’ remark IPL 2026

Former South African captain Shaun Pollock has strongly criticized Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant following the team's sixth defeat of the IPL 2026 season this past Sunday. The backlash stems from post-match comments made by Pant, who suggested that an overwhelming number of opinions from the team's expansive coaching staff were complicating his on-field decision-making.

Shaun Pollock criticizes Pant over leadership turmoil

The frustration surrounding the team is palpable, as the Lucknow Super Giants suffered yet another disheartening result at the Ekana Stadium. Despite Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) enduring a sluggish start after being sent in to bat, the hosts failed to chase down a manageable 156-run target, ultimately surrendering the game in a pulsating Super Over.

ALSO READ: Big update on Rohit Sharma's fitness ahead of MI vs SRH IPL 2026 clash

This loss was particularly damaging, marking the side’s fifth consecutive defeat and their eighth straight loss at home. Pant pointed to the internal confusion within the team as a key factor in their tactical failures. He specifically highlighted that the decision to entrust the final over to spinner Digvesh Rathi, who was then hit for four consecutive sixes by Rinku Singh, was influenced by the conflicting input he received from the sideline, suggesting that the team's coaching structure is hindering rather than helping the captain on the field.

“See, there are always times in cricket where you can turn a little bit of bowling at the same time. But sometimes bowlers have to bowl those hard overs. And there will be time when I have to give him that in middle overs because I was looking for a wicket. I just didn’t get one. That was the thought process behind it. And too many minds doesn’t make it easy on the ground,” Pant said after the match.

ALSO READ: After controversial dismissal, KKR's Angkrish Raghuvanshi faces heavy fine for showing anger over umpire's decision

It’s not good that it is coming from captain: Shaun Pollock on Rishabh Pant

Meanwhile, Pollock took a dim view of Pant's public remarks, arguing that by openly questioning the influence of the coaching staff, the captain effectively threw the management group under the bus. To Pollock, these comments serve as a clear indicator that the communication and cohesion within the team's leadership hierarchy are far from stable, suggesting deep-seated issues behind the scenes. The timing of this internal friction could not be worse for the franchise. Having secured only two victories in their opening eight matches, LSG are currently languishing at the bottom of the 10-team IPL standings, with little sign of an immediate turnaround.

“It’s not really good that it is coming from the captain because he is basically saying there are too many people giving me information, and he is kind of under the bus-ing the management group that they have got. Maybe we don’t know how it works, that’s the problem. You don’t know who has the final call, you don’t know who sits with him and gives him the understanding of what they feel and has the discussions with him,” Shaun Pollock said on Cricbuzz.