Aiden Markram frustrated with Rishabh Pant taking opening spot? LSG star breaks silence on his role
Published - 05 Apr 2026, 05:10 PM | Updated - 05 Apr 2026, 05:11 PM
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The Rishabh Pant-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have found themselves in unexpected drama. Aiden Markram has publicly expressed his displeasure at the Lucknow Super Giants’ decision to break his successful opening with Mitchell Marsh in the ongoing IPL 2026.
The LSG team management surprised everyone by promoting the captain, Rishabh Pant, to the top in the ongoing 2026 season, breaking Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram’s partnership that worked perfectly for them in the last season. Unfortunately, this big gamble didn’t work at all.
LSG’s opening experiment flops badly
In their first IPL 2026 match against Delhi Capitals, Rishabh Pant could manage only 7 runs at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. On the other hand, Aiden Markram looked unsettled and fell for 11 off 8 after being pushed down to No. 3 against the Delhi Capitals.
Read Also: Rishabh Pant pulls off a sensational one-handed catch to dismiss Liam Livingstone in IPL 2026 clash
The changes cost them badly as LSG was bowled out for just 141 and lost the game at home. The decision triggered massive criticism on social media, with many slamming the call.
Aiden Markram’s strong reaction to the batting order shuffle
Ahead of LSG’s IPL 2026 match against SRH, Markram finally addressed the matter. The South African batter tried to remain calm by saying that he is ready to adjust for the team, but he eventually admitted that there is a “slight difference” in batting at number three and opening.
Even Markram said that he would love to open the innings for the franchise, as he rebuilt his T20 career last year as an opener for the Lucknow Super Giants. Naturally, being pushed down now feels like being taken away from his comfort zone.
Aiden Markram told the broadcasters before the SRH vs LSG match, "There is a slight difference, I feel. Naturally, opening, you kind of know exactly what to expect upfront and how they're going to attack you."
"At number three, some 3-4 overs into the innings, some things pan out, and maybe you don't get quite what you expected. But I enjoy opening. I enjoy the top three, especially in this format of the game. I think it's nice to try to bat as much as you can out there in the middle.”
LSG’s batting under extra pressure due to the heavy bowling attack?
The Lucknow Super Giants have decided to play with a very strong five-bowler attack in the ongoing season. That means LSG's top six batters must carry the entire load of scoring, but Aiden Markram denied the talks of extra pressure.
However, the Proteas star admitted that the batting unit needs to deliver consistently. Markram signed off by saying, “You want to try to get all the bowlers in, especially in a competition where the batters sort of find it slightly easier. So, you want to try to get them all in.
The only way to do that for us is the top six or seven to really take ownership and make all the runs, and then we allow ourselves to play five really good bowlers. So, I don't think it puts extra pressure on us, but just being aware of it and understanding how the team is structured.”
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Aiden Markram Rishabh Pant IPL Lucknow Super Giants SRH vs LSG LSG SunRisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow SupergiantsAbout the Author
Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ...
