Ex-Mumbai Indians captain accuses Rishabh Pant of throwing Kane Williamson, Justin Langer under the bus amid LSG’s struggles

Former South Africa and Mumbai Indians captain Shaun Pollock has criticised Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant for throwing the team leadership under the bus.

Pollock was reacting to Pant's comments following LSG's loss to Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday. The match swung this way and that way until it came to a stalemate.

Mohammed Shami's last-ball six ensured that the match ended in a tie and would go to a Super Over. LSG's batting, though, came undone in the Super Over as Sunil Narine kept them down to just one run. KKR chased down the target of 2 runs easily.

After the match, Rishabh Pant said that there were too many voices in his ears from the backroom.

"Too many minds doesn't make it easy on the ground" - Rishabh Pant

During the post-match presentation, Pant was asked about his decision to bowl Digvesh Rathi in the last over. Rathi conceded 26 runs in the over as Rinku Singh hit him for 4 sixes in the over.

"See, there are always time in cricket where you can turn a little bit of bowling at the same time. But sometimes bowlers got to bowl that hard overs. And there will be time when I have to give him that in middle overs because I was looking for a wicket. I just didn't get one. That was the thought process behind it. And too many minds doesn't make it easy on the ground," He said.

Pant was referring to the decision to continue with the pacers and bowl out an in-form Mohsin Khan in the 11th over itself.

"He is kind of under the bus-ing the management" - Shaun Pollock

LSG's backroom staff is very star-studded, just like the team. With Head Coach Justin Langer, Director of Cricket Tom Moody, Strategic Advisor Kane Williamson, Bowling Coach Bharat Arun, Assistant Coach Lance Klusener, and Cricket Consultant Adam Voges, LSG have been unable to substantially perform this season. This, in his own words, has been a cause of trouble for skipper Rishabh Pant.

Shaun Pollock was speaking on Cricbuzz and responding to Pant's comments, "It's not really good that it is coming from the captain because he is basically saying there are too many people giving me information, and he is kind of under the bus-ing the management group that they have got. Maybe we don't know how it works, that's the problem. You don't know who has the final call, you don't know who sits with him and gives him the understanding of what they feel and has the discussions with him," he said.

Also Read: Virender Sehwag openly calls Kane Williamson and Justin Langer ‘brainless’ amid LSG’s IPL 2026 horror show

Rishabh Pant and LSG are under pressure

After losing five matches in a row, both skipper Rishabh Pant and Lucknow Super Giants are under tremendous pressure. The team will head to Mumbai next to face five-time champions Mumbai Indians on May 2.

LSG have won just two matches out of eight in IPL 2026, and both wins have come away from home. They will also have the services of Josh Inglis from their next match.