EX-CSK spinner predicts another disaster season for LSG and Rishabh Pant in IPL 2026
Published - 23 Mar 2026, 10:13 AM | Updated - 23 Mar 2026, 10:16 AM
Table of Contents
The Rishabh Pant-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are all set to make a fresh start in the upcoming Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) after their disastrous last season. It was Rishabh Pant’s debut season with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and they finished 7th in IPL 2025.
The Lucknow franchise managed to win only 6 matches and lost 8 out of 14 games under Pant, who was the most expensive player in IPL history with ₹27 crore. Yet, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter failed to make any mark as both captain and player for the franchise.
Despite the poor, the LSG showed faith in Pant and decided to continue him as captain in the upcoming IPL 2026, where they will kick off their campaign against his former team, the Delhi Capitals, on April 1 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Read Also: MS Dhoni drops big hint on IPL retirement, set to play till.....
Ravichandran Ashwin’s prediction sends shockwaves through LSG camp ahead of IPL 2026
Ahead of the new season, the former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin made a bold statement about the Lucknow Super Giants that would certainly hurt the franchise and its captain, Pant. He clearly feels LSG just doesn’t have the strength to compete with the top sides.
The former off-spinner has boldly said that the top three teams are already fixed, and the fight for 4th, 5th, and 6th place will be intense, but LSG won’t even be part of that race. Ashwin predicted that the Lucknow team would finish outside the top six again this season as well.
Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel “Ash ki Bat”: “I have pure clarity of the teams that will be in the top three. Four, five, and six are going to be a race, and LSG is not even in that four, five, or six, in my view. They will fall out of the six.”
Aiden Markram left out of Playing XI!
Ashwin didn’t stop there as he excluded Aiden Markram from his preferred playing XI for the Lucknow Super Giants despite South Africa’s power hitter having a breakout season as an opener in the IPL 2025.
Markram was one of the consistent performers in the last season, amassing 445 runs in 13 games at an average of 34.23 and a strike rate of 148.83 for the side.
🚨LSG IS NOT QUALIFY FOR PLAYOFFS - ASHWIN.🚨
— Sam (@Cricsam01) March 22, 2026
Ravi Ashwin said🎙️- Lucknow Super Giants will not qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2026 and are likely to finish in the bottom four.🤯
He also excluded Aiden Markram from the playing XI.
pic.twitter.com/aj5SuECptz
Ravichandran Ashwin drops bomb on Arjun Tendulkar’s IPL 2026 chances
Meanwhile, the former CSK legend’s other no-nonsense take on Arjun Tendulkar made the headlines. Arjun made a big move from the Mumbai Indians to the Lucknow franchise, but his road in the new team is looking very tough in the upcoming season.
LSG’s pace attack already looks packed with big names like Mohammed Shami, and then they also have Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, and Mohsin Khan—both are coming back from injuries and ready to fight for their spots. It makes it tough for Arjun to break into the playing XI, according to Ashwin.
He signed off by saying, “Arjun Tendulkar khelega hi nahi" (Arjun Tendulkar won’t play at all), and let’s not even go there. I think it is very difficult because there are Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, and Mohammed Shami in this lineup.”
Read Also: "Say no to captaincy": Ex-India opener urges Hardik Pandya to step down from MI's captaincy
About the Author
Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ...
