20 January,2025 09:38 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rishabh Pant. Pic/AFP
Having made the record-breaking bid at the Indian Premier League auction for Rishabh Pant, the Lucknow Super Giants are all set to unveil him as their next captain.
Without disclosing much, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka has called the media for special interaction of the IPL franchise where the jersey unveiling is also expected.
Rishabh Pant who LSG bought for a whopping Rs. 27 crore would mark his second stint as the captain in the IPL.
Earlier, in the Delhi Capitals, the captaincy became the point of contention, making Rishabh Pant opt out of the franchise's retention plans.
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Despite DC's interest in keeping him, they were not fully committed to him leading the side, prompting Pant to re-enter the auction.
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India batter KL Rahul led LSG through their first three IPL seasons (2022-2024), taking the team to the playoffs in their first two campaigns, though they failed to reach the final in either year.
The 2024 season, however, was a setback, with LSG finishing seventh on the points table.
Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Ayush Badoni, and Mohsin Khan were retained by the Goenka-owned franchise but they still were on the lookout for an Indian leader to succeed Rahul.
At the auction, they pipped Sunrisers Hyderabad, LSG to get Pant for Rs 20.75 crore, eventually, they had to raise their price to Rs 27 crore to outbid Delhi Capitals' right-to-match card.
Rishabh Pant, who had been with DC since 2016, was appointed captain in 2021 and led the team until 2023 before a near-fatal car accident in December 2022 ruled him out.
In the revamped LSG squad, Pant will be supported by key overseas players such as David Miller, Mitchell Marsh, and Aiden Markram, along with Indian seamers Akash Deep and Avesh Khan, among others.
Pooran, Marsh, Markram, and Miller were also considered potential captaincy candidates after the auction.
Pant will also have team mentor Zaheer Khan and head coach Justin Langer for company during IPL.
(With PTI Inputs)
