Rishabh Pant Told "You Are Aimless As Captain" As LSG Fail To Defend 228-Run Total
Rishabh Pant has been branded an "aimless captain" by Shaun Pollock after LSG suffered their 7th defeat in 9 matches.
- Rishabh Pant struggles as batter and captain with LSG at IPL 2026 bottom of points table
- LSG scored 228 runs against Mumbai Indians but lost as MI chased target with 8 balls to spare
- Shaun Pollock criticised Pant, calling him an "aimless captain" for not using spinner Aiden Markram
Rishabh Pant is struggling, both as a batter and a captain, as the Lucknow Super Giants remain at the bottom of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 points table. A change in the batting line-up saw LSG put a solid total of 228 runs on the board against the Mumbai Indians on Monday, but what happened next was unexpected. MI's opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton completed the bulk of the chase for the franchise as they chased down the target with 8 balls to spare.
As former cricketers and experts do the post-mortem of Lucknow's defeat, Pant's captaincy skills are in the line of fire again. South Africa legend Shaun Pollock didn't mince his words as he slammed Pant for not trying the spin bowling option of Aiden Markram as his pacers struggled to contain the MI opening duo.
"They also used only five bowlers and didn't go to the extra option of Aiden Markram. Someone like Avesh Khan, his strength has always been pounding the good length. Here, he was running up and trying to bowl yorkers. And they were knee high, getting smacked away. Bowlers have to realise what their strength is and stick to it. By bringing in Inglis, they missed out on an international bowler, which probably would have served the balance better," Pollock said on Cricbuzz.
He further slammed Pant as an 'aimless captain' who lacks the tactical skills to excel at this level of the game.
"Sometimes in such games, it almost looks like you are aimless as a captain. When two players are flying like they were at the top of the order for MI, you feel like there is nothing you can do. But it looked like there were no clear-cut plans on how they were going to pick up a wicket or restrict scoring. It didn't look like they went to something unique, but more a case of them hoping the MI openers get out," he added.
With just two wins from 9 matches so far in the IPL 2026 campaign, LSG's hunt for the playoffs is all but over. For Pant, who has only garnered 204 runs so far this season, at a strike-rate of 120 and an average of 25, this season looks to be ending on another forgetful note.
Lucknow Super Giants
Rishabh Pant