New Delhi: The suspense surrounding the captaincy candidate of Lucknow Super Giants was finally over on Monday with the announcement of Rishabh as the new leader of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise ahead of the 2025 edition. Pant was named KL Rahul’s successor by LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka during a press conference in Kolkata, the venue for the first T20I between India and England.
Pant, who was sitting alongside Goenka during the announcement, was elated to take up his new role and hailed Goenka for showing faith in his abilities. Pant scripted history in November 2024 by becoming the costliest player in the history of IPL after the Super Giants shelled Rs 27 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Pant was released by Delhi Capitals ahead of the auction. His previous captaincy stint was with the Capitals during the IPL 2021, 2022, and 2024 editions.
Pant becomes the fourth captain of the Lucknow-based franchise in the IPL after KL Rahul, Krunal Pandya, and Nicholas Pooran.
“Focus on the process”
Pant mentioned the famous lines of MS Dhoni during his unveiling as the new LSG skipper. “Mahi bhai’s words are very famous – MS Dhoni told ‘take care of the process & the results will follow’. I will always keep that in mind”, said Pant. Dhoni is the joint-most successful captain in the history of IPL with five titles. On the international level, he led India to title wins in the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Dhoni was famous for his cool, calm attitude on the pitch and always believed in the process more than the results.
Pant also described himself as a teamman, who always keeps team first over individual performances.
Meanwhile, Goenka hailed Pant’s playing and leadership abilities and backed him to play for the next 10-15 years and win multiple titles. The LSG owner expressed his confidence over Pant’s future with the Super Giants and said that the Delhi wicket-keeper batter will go down as the best player in the history of IPL and the best captain the tournament has ever seen.
Pant will play his second season at IPL 2025 since his life-threatening road accident in 2022. The Delhi dasher made a remarkable recovery from multiple injuries he suffered while going to his hometown Roorkee.
Rishabh Pant mentioned the famous lines of MS Dhoni during his unveiling as the new Lucknow Super Giants skipper. IPL Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
