Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant has suggested that there is a good chance that he will open the innings for the rest of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). This comes after the left-hander opened the innings alongside Mitchell Marsh in their opening game of the season against the Delhi Capitals (DC) on Wednesday, April 1.
Pant had a disappointing debut year in LSG colours last season, where he averaged just 24.45 despite scoring an unbeaten hundred. The wicket-keeper batter, therefore, changed his batting position against DC, allowing himself to play as many balls as possible in an innings. However, he was dismissed in the most unfortunate manner when a Marsh’s shot straight down the middle ricocheted onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end off the bowling of Mukesh Kumar.
Despite the unlucky end to his innings, Pant has confirmed he may continue opening the batting this year, or at least bat in the top three.
"I think it's a 50-50 call, but we'll see. But [you'll] definitely see me in the top order,” Pant said as quoted on ESPNcricinfo.
The LSG captain wants hard-hitting West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran to bat in the middle order to keep the scoring rate high whilst the field is spread out.
Pant has also claimed that he will take over the role in the top order from Pooran this season, which will push the left-hander down to number four or five, depending on the situation, like against DC.
"I think the idea was very simple. Like, [Pooran] is taking the charge in the middle overs. He's not batting in the top order anymore because I'm batting up the order. And the swap [between Pooran and Badoni] happened because, you know, we wanted to explore that lefty-righty option at the top. So, they couldn't bowl a left-arm spinner. Unfortunately, I got out at the wrong time. Otherwise, Axar [Patel] still had to bowl one over in the powerplay, and that gives us the edge over them,” Pant added.
It is worth noting that Pant has previously opened in the IPL just six times, scoring 132 runs at an average of 22. His highest score whilst opening the innings came in his debut season in the IPL in 2016, when he scored 69 off 40 deliveries for the Delhi Daredevils against the Gujarat Lions in Rajkot.
