After leaving Delhi Capitals, a side he led before in the IPL, Pant took over as LSG\u2019s skipper after the franchise roped him in for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore in the mega auction held in 2024. But under him, LSG endured back\u2011to\u2011back disappointing campaigns - the side finished seventh last season and slipped further this year by ending at the bottom spot of the points table with just four wins from 14 games.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cRishabh approached the franchise with this request and we have respectfully accepted it. These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for everything Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as captain. Our focus now is on the collective - rebuilding and restructuring to reach the best standards,\u201d said Tom Moody, the side\u2019s global director of cricket, in a statement on Friday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Under his captaincy, LSG managed ten wins but suffered 18 defeats across two seasons. With the bat, Pant, once amongst the most explosive performers in the league, struggled to replicate that form for LSG. Across two years, he scored 581 runs at a strike rate of 135.74, numbers way below his career benchmarks.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
A franchise official told IANS on Friday that Pant\u2019s decision to relinquish captaincy just six days after the side\u2019s campaign got over isn\u2019t a huge surprise, considering that he expressed this desire to leave the top role after the season got over for LSG on a disappointing note.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cRishabh was very clear about leaving as LSG\u2019s captain right after the tournament ended. From his perspective, the vision he had for the team as the captain, it just wasn\u2019t translating into reality. Also, it was becoming too much for him to balance things as captain while his primary skillsets, especially his batting form, wasn\u2019t at its best.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also understood that Rishabh told the LSG coaching staff and management that it would be selfish of him to continue as captain after yet another disappointing season. Plus, he wants to prioritise his batting in the longer run, considering he is not an automatic pick in the Indian side in white-ball formats,\u201d said the official.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pant himself admitted during the season that \u2018too many minds\u2019 in the leadership group had complicated matters for him as a leader. Pant\u2019s future as the LSG skipper was under doubts when Moody had said after losing their final league game to Punjab Kings that the franchise will consider a leadership reset<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also understood that Rishabh told the LSG coaching staff and management that it would be selfish of him to continue as captain after yet another disappointing season. Plus, he wants to prioritise his batting in the longer run, considering he is not an automatic pick in the Indian side in white-ball formats,\u201d said the official.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThere was also this feeling within Rishabh that he let down LSG fans too as a leader, and that weighed heavily on him as well. So, ultimately, it was a mixed bag of factors behind him leaving the captaincy and subsequently, the franchise also accepted his desire to let go of the leadership armband and allow Rishabh to concentrate on his batting,\u201d added the official.<\/p>\r\n\r\n