Rishabh Pant, the newly appointed captain of Lucknow Super Giants for the upcoming IPL, garnered attention for his playful remarks directed at Punjab Kings (PBKS).
During the auction, Pant admitted that his biggest worry was the possibility of being picked by Punjab Kings.
“Mereko andar se ek hi tension tha, woh tha Punjab (laughs). They had the highest purse.”
He expressed his relief when PBKS secured Shreyas Iyer for an impressive Rs 26.75 crore.
When Shreyas went to Punjab, I felt I could make it to LSG. But with the auction, you never know, so I just thought I would wait and watch, fingers crossed,” Pant said.
Pant pledged to give his “200 percent” to secure the team’s first-ever title.
“I will give my 200 percent. That’s my commitment to you. I will try whatever is there in my power to repay the faith. I am really excited and looking forward to new beginning and new energy. And have a blast out there with lot of fun,” he said.
Franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka introduced Pant as the new captain, expressing their hopes and aspirations for the team’s future.
This marks Pant’s second stint as a leader in the IPL, following his time at Delhi Capitals, where captaincy became a point of contention, leading to his decision to opt out of DC’s retention plans after unsuccessful negotiations.
LSG outbid Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals to secure Pant for Rs 27 crore at the auction.
Pant expressed his optimism about the team’s potential, highlighting the mix of youth and experienced players in the squad.
He acknowledged the new beginning with a new franchise and owner but emphasized that his captaincy ideology remains unchanged.
Pant shared his captaincy mantra, drawing from the experiences of various captains and senior players he has learned from.
“With Rohit bhai you learnt how to care of a player. If you give confidence and trust he will do things which you can’t imagine. That’s the kind of ideology we will have. We will have a clear communication and a never-say-die attitude.”
He stressed the importance of character and the willingness to go the extra mile within the team.
Pant had been with DC since 2016 and served as captain from 2021 until 2023 before a near-fatal car accident in December 2022 ruled him out.
Goenka described this as an “important moment” for the team as they enter their fourth season in the league, marking the beginning of a reboot and planning process.
