As Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) prepare for their IPL 2025 campaign, skipper Rishabh Pant has highlighted the importance of being proactive as a leader — an aspect he has been refining over the past two years.
Pant, who became the most expensive player in IPL history when LSG acquired him for ₹27 crore / €3 million) at last year’s mega auction, is determined to guide the franchise to its first-ever IPL title.
One of the biggest challenges of captaincy in the IPL, Pant noted, is ensuring clear communication with senior and international players.
I want to be proactive, and this is something that I started to learn in the last two years. The more communication you have with the management and the players, the bond becomes better and better. There has to be one channel that can send a message so the whole group is receiving and working towards the same thought process. That is one challenging aspect of captaincy in IPL because there are a lot of seniors and international players, and how do you communicate with them?
“So everyone works in the same direction, which you want your team to be in. I think that is one of the most challenging things. I want to be someone who gives freedom to the players to express themselves,” he added.
Previously, Pant had expressed his vision for creating an environment where “people can come and express themselves. It’s just a very simple idea. It’s easier to say than to do it because it requires a lot of effort from each and every individual.”
Pant has also recreated a viral commentary moment on Instagram for a brand advertisement ahead of the IPL. The clip references Sunil Gavaskar's heated commentary remark during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Pant was on the receiving end of Gavaskar's criticism during the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the 2024-25 series. The moment in question occurred when Pant attempted an aggressive shot, mistimed it, and was caught at third man.
LSG will begin their IPL 2025 campaign against Delhi Capitals, Pant’s former team, on March 24 at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The franchise reached the playoffs in 2022 and 2023 but fell short in the Eliminator on both occasions. In IPL 2024, they finished seventh in the league standings.
