New Delhi: Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has criticised Rishabh Pant’s decision to open the innings for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026, following his brief stay at the crease against Delhi Capitals. Pietersen suggested the move may not suit Pant’s strengths after the team’s opening defeat.
Pant promoted himself to the opening slot against Delhi Capitals, but his stay at the crease was cut short due to an unfortunate run-out at the non-striker’s end. The dismissal came after a drive from Mitchell Marsh ricocheted off the bowler’s hand and deflected onto the stumps.
According to Pietersen, Pant, who struggled for runs in the last season, has increased the pressure on himself after deciding to open the innings for the team. He believes that Pant should not force himself at the top and focus on enjoying the position that he bats in.
“When you look at the strength and depth of LSG’s batting, is Rishabh Pant really an opening batter? I think he might have gone a little too far ahead of where he was in the line-up compared to last year. Last year, he moved down the order, and now suddenly it’s, I’m going to come up to the top,” Pieterson told Jio Hotstar.
“I think he just needs to go out and enjoy his cricket. Don’t force yourself into batting at three; enjoy the luxury of that position. I think he puts himself under tremendous pressure by opening the batting,” he added.
Pant became the most expensive player in the tournament’s history last year when LSG secured the wicketkeeper-batter for Rs 27 crore. However, his performance with the bat failed to justify his price tag. Although he scored a century, his overall performance remained underwhelming, as the ton came when LSG were already out of the race for the playoffs.
Pant scored just 269 runs in the 13 matches he played last season at a poor average of 24.45.
Meanwhile, LSG lost their first match after Delhi Capitals chased down an easy target of 142 runs in just 17.1 overs. Pant’s batting position will again be a talking point when LSG face Sunrisers Hyderabad in their next match on April 5 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
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Caption: Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant plays a shot during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match between Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday, April 01, 2026. (Photo: IANS)
–IANS
