Lucknow Super Giants find themselves in a precarious position in IPL 2026, having lost six of their eight matches and seeing their playoff hopes dangling by a thread. While the team's struggles have been collective, much of the spotlight has fallen squarely on captain Rishabh Pant, whose record-breaking Rs 27 crore price tag has invited intense scrutiny.
Pant's form has been a growing concern for the franchise. After a disappointing IPL 2025 where he managed just 269 runs in 14 matches at an average of 24.45—his lowest since his debut season in 2016—the left-hander has failed to turn things around this year. In eight matches, he has scored only 189 runs at an average of 27.00 and a strike rate of 126.84, with just one fifty to his name. The franchise tried shuffling him between opening and the middle order, and even brought in former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh to mentor him before the tournament, but results have yet to follow.
Despite the mounting pressure, LSG bowling coach Bharat Arun has backed his captain, dismissing any notion that the massive price tag is weighing on Pant mentally. "I don't think the price tag has got to do anything with it," Arun said ahead of the team's clash against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. "It's just a question of—if you really look at his batting throughout, if you look at the second game that we played, he took us through the line. I wouldn't be too concerned about his form. It's just a question of one innings away from getting back his rhythm."
Arun also addressed the performances of veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, who has taken seven wickets in eight matches this season. "Shami's mindset is very, very clear. On numerous occasions, he said selection is not in my hands, but to do well is in my hands. And that's exactly what he's doing," the coach noted.
In positive news for LSG, Arun confirmed that tearaway pacer Mayank Yadav is fully fit and available for selection, giving the team a much-needed boost as they look to revive their campaign. With the playoffs slipping away, every match now feels like a must-win for Pant and his team—and the captain knows he's just one big innings away from silencing the doubters.