IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant beats Nicholas Pooran to secure LSG captaincy

Rishabh Pant is set to be named the new captain of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. While the official announcement from the franchise is yet to be made, a report from ESPNcricinfo has confirmed that the 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batter will take on the leadership role.

The Super Giants needed a new captain after choosing not to retain KL Rahul ahead of the IPL 2024 mega auction. KL Rahul led the team during its first three seasons (2022-2024) and guided the team to the playoffs in their first two years. However, the 2024 season was disappointing, with LSG finishing seventh.

Rishabh Pant Became the Most Expensive Player in IPL History

Rishabh Pant became the most expensive player in IPL history during the auction. He was bought by the Super Giants (LSG) for Rs 27 crore. LSG won a fierce bidding war with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). However, Delhi Capitals (DC) used their right-to-match card, forcing LSG to raise their offer to Rs 27 crore.

The wicketkeeper-batter will be leading his second IPL franchise as captain. If confirmed, he will become the fourth captain of the Lucknow team, following KL Rahul, Krunal Pandya, and Nicholas Pooran. Pant led Delhi Capitals but was not retained by the franchise, prompting him to enter the auction.

The left-handed batter represented Delhi Capitals in 111 matches from 2016 to 2024, amassing 3,284 runs at a strike rate of 148.93. He is the franchise’s all-time leading run-scorer. Rishabh Pant led DC in 43 matches over three seasons, securing 23 wins, 19 losses, and a win percentage of 53.48.

RPSG Group Expected to Make Announcement on Monday

The RPSG group, owner of the LSG, is expected to make an announcement during a press conference in Kolkata on Monday. According to an IANS report, the new LSG captain will be revealed, or the franchise's new jersey will be unveiled. Some players from the team are also likely to attend the event.

The report says, "Some franchise officials IANS spoke to have said either of the two things or both could happen in Monday's press conference: the announcement of a new LSG captain or unveiling of the franchise's new jersey, considering that some players of the team are likely to be in attendance."

Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram in Race for Captaincy

Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, Lucknow Super Giants retained five players: Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Ayush Badoni, and Mohsin Khan. Nicholas Pooran was initially the frontrunner to become LSG's captain. Pooran was retained by LSG for Rs 21 crore before the mega auction.

Apart from Pant and Pooran, Mitchell Marsh (Australia’s T20I captain) and Aiden Markram (South Africa’s T20I captain) are in the race for the captaincy. Former Australia batter Justin Langer was appointed as the head coach, while Zaheer Khan will serve as the mentor for the upcoming IPL 2025 season.

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