27 Crore Tag! Rishabh Pant ‘under maximum pressure’ in IPL 2026

NEW DELHI: A price tag of Rs 27 crore, Lucknow Supergiants’ failure to make it to IPL 2025 playoffs and poor form with the bat – Ritha Pant Hopefully burying all the ghosts of the 2025 season and starting fresh when the 2026 season begins. Lucknow Supergiants will begin their IPL 2026 season against Delhi Capitals on April 1 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow.Will there be pressure on Pant?

former south africa captain Fife du Plessis I believe Pant, the captain of Lucknow Super Giants, will be the player under the greatest pressure in this tournament.Last year, LSG acquired the wicketkeeper-batsman for Rs 27 crore, making Pant the most expensive player in the history of the tournament.However, his performance with the bat does not justify his price tag. Even though he scored a century, his entire season remained underwhelming, as he performed poorly when LSG had already exited the playoffs.Pant scored only 269 runs in 13 games last season, averaging just 24.45 points per game.“For me, Rishabh Pant is probably the most pressured player in the IPL this season. Some thrive under price pressure and some don’t. I think last season was very tough for him. The team struggled and the way he batted, it was difficult to get runs,” du Plessis told Jio Hotstar.“So, when the season comes there are all kinds of pressures and expectations of what the team is going to do. For a batting-oriented team, how can they maximize their bowling? Because your captain is under pressure and scoring runs is your priority.“So, if he scores as captain, it will take the pressure off, first of all. But there’s also the second example, which is the overall performance of the team. Last year, both of those things were a big red cross against them,” he said.