By Himanshu Sharma
There is always a temptation in the IPL to tinker or think out of the box, with Kevin Pietersen believing Rishabh Pant may have done just that.
Pant, leading Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026, promoted himself to open the batting against Delhi Capitals.
The move lasted briefly. He was run out at the non-striker’s end in an unfortunate manner; as a deflection from Mitchell Marsh’s drive hitting the non-striker’s stumps.
The dismissal was unusual, but the decision to open has drawn flak.
Pietersen questions Pant’s role
The England legend raised concerns on Jiohotstar post-match about whether the wicketkeeper-batter is best suited to the role at the top of the order, saying:
“When you look at the strength and depth of LSG’s batting, is Rishabh Pant really an opening batter?”
Pant has largely played in the middle order in recent seasons and on the international stage, where his aggressive approach has often been more effective.
Pietersen suggested that the decision may be placing unnecessary pressure on the LSG skipper, adding:
“He just needs to go out and enjoy his cricket. I think he puts himself under tremendous pressure by opening.”
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Pant’s performance under the scanner
Rishabh Pant’s previous IPL season adds context to the debate.
After becoming the league’s most expensive player with a ₹27 crore move to LSG, he endured a modest campaign, scoring 269 runs in 13 matches at an average of 24.45.
Those returns fall short of expectations and raise questions about his move to the top of the order.
Opening experiment to persist or LSG revert to proven combo?
Lucknow Super Giants faced an early setback in the season opener as Delhi Capitals chased down a modest target of 142 in 17.1 overs.
With the next fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad approaching, Pant’s batting position is likely to remain a key talking point.
The focus will be on whether LSG persist with the experiment or return to their proven combination of Mitch Marsh and Aiden Markram at the top of the order.
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