LSG vs DC: Why did Rishabh Pant open instead of Aiden Markram in IPL 2026?
(Courtesy : Twitter)
Rishabh Pant is captaining LSG in IPL 2026.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have commenced their journey in the Indian Premier League 2026 with the clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) on Wednesday, April 1. DC captain Axar Patel won the toss and opted to bowl first in the encounter.
Notably, LSG captain Rishabh Pant changed his batting position in IPL 2026. Surprisingly, he came out to open alongside Mitchell Marsh in the clash. Pant is known to bat in the middle-order, a position he has preferred since the start of his career.
Fans were a little surprised as Aiden Markram did not open the batting with Marsh. LSG retained Markram for IPL 2026. Instead of batting as an opener, he came out to bat at one down.
Why did Rishabh Pant open for LSG against DC?
Last season, Pant struggled to perform at his regular No. 4 position. However, in the last match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), he came out to bat at No. 3 and scored an outstanding century.
Therefore, the management might have tried him as an opener in the LSG vs DC clash after his success at the top order last season.
However, Pant could not come up with an impressive show as an opener in the encounter. He could only score seven runs off nine deliveries. He faced an unlucky run-out in the third over of Mukesh Kumar.
Speaking about the match, LSG suffered a dismal start to batting, losing many key batters for low scores. After Pant’s dismissal, crucial batters like Aiden Markram (11), Ayush Badoni (0), and Nicholas Pooran (8) lost their wickets cheaply. Till 15 overs, Lucknow lost six batters with 121 runs on the board.
Who opened for LSG in the clash against DC in IPL 2026?
Rishabh Pant and Mitchell Marsh opened for LSG in the encounter.
Who is captaining LSG in IPL 2026?
Rishabh Pant is captaining LSG in IPL 2026.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.