Manoj Tiwary Criticizes Rishabh Pant’s Captaincy Amid LSG’s Poor IPL 2026 Form

The Struggle at Lucknow: Why Rishabh Pant is Under Fire

The 2026 Indian Premier League season has been nothing short of a nightmare for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Currently languishing at the bottom of the table, the franchise has managed only two wins from nine encounters. At the heart of this collapse is skipper Rishabh Pant, whose captaincy has come under intense scrutiny following a difficult transition period that began in 2025. While team owner Sanjiv Goenka had high hopes that Pant would ascend to the ranks of legendary IPL leaders like MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, the reality on the field suggests a significant gap in tactical execution.

A Concerning Statistical Decline

The numbers paint a bleak picture for the Lucknow franchise. Since taking the reins in 2025, Pant has led the team in 23 matches, managing only eight victories. This results in a win-loss ratio of a meager 0.571. When compared to the performance of previous stand-in captains like Krunal Pandya—who boasted a win-loss ratio of 1.50 during his tenure—the drop-off is stark.

The home form has been particularly baffling for the team. Playing 13 matches at their home ground, Pant has secured only three wins. A low point in this dismal run was the match on April 22 against the Rajasthan Royals, where the entire batting lineup folded for just 119 runs. With six consecutive defeats, including a recent loss to the Mumbai Indians, the pressure on Pant has reached a boiling point.

Manoj Tiwary Points to Tactical Gaps

Former Indian cricketer and analyst Manoj Tiwary recently offered a candid assessment of why Pant is struggling to match the standards set by Indian cricket icons. Speaking to Cricbuzz, Tiwary highlighted a fundamental lack of tactical flexibility during the recent clash against the Mumbai Indians.

Tiwary noted that while Prince Yadav bowled with great discipline and economy, the rest of the bowling attack failed to replicate that success. “Pant is also losing out on tactical moves,” Tiwary explained. “In the match against Mumbai, Prince Yadav was the only economical bowler, and that was because he was executing yorkers. As a captain, you should have told the other bowlers to follow that plan.”

The former cricketer further pointed out that Pant overlooked internal resources that could have changed the game’s momentum. “I even saw videos on social media, posted by LSG, showing Arjun Tendulkar bowling yorkers in the nets. So Pant could have brought him in. This is where MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma are different as captains,” Tiwary added. The failure to utilize the bench—specifically players like Tendulkar, who was traded for INR 30 lakh but remains unused—highlights a disconnect between management planning and on-field execution.

Is the Playoff Dream Over for LSG?

With the 2026 season reaching its business end, the chances of a miraculous turnaround for Lucknow appear slim. Other franchises, including the Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, and Gujarat Titans, have already pulled ahead with 12 or 13 points. To break into the top four, LSG would need an almost impossible string of results in their favor, especially with stalwarts like the Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Kolkata Knight Riders fighting tooth and nail for the final playoff berths.

For Rishabh Pant, the remaining matches represent a chance to salvage some personal pride and perhaps learn the hard lessons of leadership that Tiwary alluded to. However, as it stands, the dream of seeing him lauded alongside the greats of IPL captaincy remains a distant reality, eclipsed by the immediate need for a fundamental strategic overhaul.