After the conclusion of 38 games of the ongoing Indian Premier League, a clearer picture is emerging regarding teams' standings and their playoff chances. Although the tournament is still open and teams that haven’t performed well so far still have a shot at making the playoffs, they will need to make some tough decisions immediately.
One such team that has struggled significantly is the Lucknow Super Giants. The UP-based franchise has played eight matches so far, managing just two wins, and currently sits at the bottom of the table.
The Rishabh Pant-led side appears well-balanced on paper, boasting players like Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and Nicholas Pooran. However, their performances have been far from convincing, particularly in the batting department. Even their captain, Pant, has failed to deliver, leading to questions being raised about his leadership as well.
Pant's captaincy has become a focal point of LSG's struggles, and the ace Indian batter Wasim Jaffer has suggested that the franchise should sack the 28-year-old with immediate effect and appoint Aiden Markram as the new skipper. Notably, Markram also leads South Africa’s T20 side.
What Wasim Jaffer suggests
The 48-year-old Indian legend, speaking on his YouTube channel, stated that if he were part of the LSG setup, his first move would be to hand over the captaincy to Markram and allow Pant to play freely as a batter. According to Jaffer, the burden of leadership is affecting Pant’s performance.
"If I were in that dugout, the first thing I would do is make Aiden Markram the captain. I feel a player like Rishabh Pant should play purely as a player. You get the best out of him when you free him up and tell him to just go out and play and win matches on his own. Don’t burden him with captaincy,” he said.
Jaffer further added that Markram, who also captained Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023, is a more effective leader than Pant.
"I think Aiden Markram is a better captain. He has led South Africa very successfully; he is mentally strong, very composed, and I think he can get the best out of the other players," he concluded
Rishabh Pant's captaincy nightmare
The Delhi-based wicketkeeper-batsman was picked by the LSG management for a whopping ₹27 crore in the mega auction held in November, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. He was also handed the captaincy with high expectations.
However, not only has his batting been disappointing, but the team’s performance has also suffered—they finished seventh last season, and this year has only worsened the situation.
Pant has struggled with the bat, scoring just 189 runs at an average of 27 and a modest strike rate of 127, with only one fifty-plus score so far.
That said, it will be interesting to see whether the Lucknow Super Giants management takes Wasim Jaffer’s advice—allowing Pant to play with freedom by relieving him of captaincy—or continues to back him as the skipper.