Lucknow Super Giants made a surprising tactical call in their IPL 2026 opener against Delhi Capitals on April 1, promoting Rishabh Pant to open the innings. The move, however, did not deliver the desired result.
Pant, leading LSG, has featured in 217 T20 matches but has opened the batting only 23 times. In the IPL, he had previously opened on just five occasions. Despite the presence of a regular opener like Aiden Markram in the XI, Pant walked out alongside Mitchell Marsh at the top of the order at the Ekana Stadium.
The experiment proved short-lived, with Pant managing seven runs off nine deliveries before being run out, raising questions around the decision.
Why Pant might have opened
Primarily a middle-order batter, Pant has slightly stronger numbers as an opener in T20s, albeit from a limited sample. He averages 30.54 with a strike rate of 158 in the role, higher than his overall T20 strike rate of 144. However, the returns are less convincing in the IPL, where his strike rate as an opener drops to 128. Apart from a 40-ball 69 against the Gujarat Lions in 2016, he has not registered a strike rate above 125 in that position in the tournament. A brief attempt last season also yielded only 21 off 18 balls against the Gujarat Titans.
The decision may also have been influenced by his form in the previous season. Pant, who was signed for INR 27 crore, endured a lean IPL 2025, scoring 269 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.45, the numbers boosted by an unbeaten 118 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. His strike rate of 133 was his lowest in three seasons.
Match 5, Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals
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Another key factor is the lack of recent T20 match practice. Pant had not played a T20 game since the last IPL, and opening the innings could have been a way to give himself more time at the crease before scoreboard pressure built up. Batting alongside a free-flowing player like Marsh may have allowed him to settle in, particularly in the powerplay when field restrictions offer scoring opportunities.
However, perhaps the most significant factor behind Pant’s opening was the fact that he is a left-hander and Markram is not, and LSG wanted a left-right combination at the top.
…and why the move fell short
The move did not last long enough to be effective. Pant’s early dismissal forced Markram into the middle order, despite his stronger record as an opener. The South Africa skipper strikes at 143 as an opener compared to 128 at No. 3 in all T20s. Markram also entered the game in good form, having scored 286 runs at an average of 47.67 and a strike rate of 165 in the recent T20 World Cup. Pushing an out-of-form batter for an in-form one in a role that he is unfamiliar with, thus, made little sense.
The reshuffle also affected the batting balance. LSG’s innings lost momentum in the middle phase, slipping from 48-1 to 105-6. In such a situation, Pant’s role as a stabiliser could have been valuable. He averages 37 against spin at a strike rate of 137, and with Delhi’s slower bowlers conceding 56 runs in eight overs, his presence in the middle order may have added control. With three uncapped batters slotted in between Nos.4 to 7, the line-up appeared stretched.
Delhi were eventually bowled out for 141, and while the decision to promote Pant was not the sole factor, it remains a case of what-ifs.
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