Rishabh Pant-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had another below-par season and they failed to qualify for the second round of IPL 2026. LSG only managed to win 4 out of their 14 matches and finished in the last spot with only 8 points. Following LSG’s exit from IPL 2026, Wasim Jaffer named the LSG players he would release and sign int he IPL 2027 mini–auction. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former India opener said that he would release Rishabh Pant and Nicholas Pooran and then sign them for a lower amount.
LSG signed Rishabh Pant for Rs 27 crore in the IPL 2025 mega-auction. They retained Pooran for Rs 21 crore. “Mitchell Marsh, after that I would also retain Pant, but I would release him and then buy him back cheaply. And even Nicholas Pooran for that matter,” Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.
“Josh Inglis is also there with you; you should not let him go either. In the bowling department, I mean Prince Yadav has done well, so he deserves retention in my opinion. I don’t think, even though he may not have been that effective in the last few matches, but in a losing team, one that is already at the bottom of the table and eliminated, the results also affect you in some way. But even the way he has bowled in tough situations, I think he deserves retention,” he added.
Rishabh Pant has struggled at LSG
LSG had high hopes from Rishabh Pant and they signed him for a record amount of Rs 27 crore. Pant-led LSG crashed out of the league stage of IPL 2025. He also struggled on the captaincy front and managed 269 runs in the season.
In 2026, LSG finished in the last position. Pant managed 312 runs in 13 innings. LSG haven’t made it to the second round since IPL 2023. They could release Pant following his back-to-back below-par performances.
