Rishabh Pant was appointed captain of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday, having been bought for a record Rs 27 crore at the mega auction in the IPL 2025 mega auction. After being appointed as captain, Pant revealed the qualities he had picked up from other senior players, and hailed current India Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma. Pant said that under Rohit's leadership, he had learnt the skill of how a player must be taken care of.
"I've learnt from a lot of captains, a lot of my seniors. I feel you don't have to learn just from the captain, but there are also a lot of seniors who know a lot about the game and the way the game is going forward," Pant said, speaking in a press conference following LSG's announcement of him becoming captain.
"Rohit bhai (Rohit Sharma) is one. With Rohit bhai, you learn how to care for a player," Pant said.
"I feel the same when I captain a side. If you give confidence and trust to a player, he will do unimaginable things for you and the team. And that is the ideology we'll have. We'll back the players, give them trust, and have clear communication," Pant added.
Pant captained Delhi Capitals in 2021, 2022 and 2024, but parted ways ahead of the mega auction.
The 27-year-old became the most expensive player in the history of the IPL, surpassing the Rs 26.75 crore set by Shreyas Iyer earlier during the same mega auction.
Pant also emphasised another mental aspect he will look to incorporate into the LSG team.
"A never-say-die attitude. Fight till the last ball. That is something I always emphasize. Performances will come and go, but are you fighting enough, are you giving your 100 per cent. Everyone gets tired, but are you giving the extra 20-30 per cent on the field," Pant said.
IPL 2025 will kickstart on March 21.