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On Monday, a crucial IPL 2026 match took place between the Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, resulting in another heavy defeat for Lucknow. This marks their sixth consecutive loss, prompting renewed calls for Rishabh Pant to be removed from the captaincy.

So far, LSG has only managed to secure victories in 2 out of the 9 matches played, placing them at the bottom of the points table with just 4 points. Following the team's poor performance, several prominent figures have urged the management to relieve Pant of his captaincy duties. As the most expensive player in IPL history, Pant has yet to deliver significant performances with either bat or captaincy this season.

The initial call for Pant's removal came from former player Wasim Jaffer, who argued that the pressure of captaincy is hindering Pant's performance. He suggested that relieving him of these responsibilities would allow him to focus on his batting. Jaffer advocated for Aiden Markram to take over the captaincy.

Following Jaffer, former cricketers Manoj Tiwary and Rohan Gavaskar have echoed similar sentiments, stating that the burden of captaincy is affecting Pant's ability to play in his explosive T20 style. In the current season, Pant has played 9 matches for Lucknow, scoring a total of 204 runs with a strike rate of just 128.3, which is considered low for T20 standards.

In a conversation with Cricbuzz, Rohan Gavaskar mentioned that LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka had expressed a desire for Pant to build a legacy and play for the next 10-15 years to win trophies. Gavaskar emphasized that sometimes, players need to be taken out of the firing line. The LSG management now faces a decision on whether to retain Pant as captain or allow him to focus solely on his batting. Everyone recognizes his caliber in T20 cricket and what he can achieve when the time comes.