Ravichandran Ashwin Urges Rishabh Pant to Open for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026

Ashwin's Plea to Pant

Renowned Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his desire for former teammate Rishabh Pant to maintain his role as an opener for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the current season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). Following a disappointing performance against the Delhi Capitals (DC), Ashwin urged Pant to remain confident and not let a poor score deter him. After Pant mentioned that his chances of opening in the tournament were 50/50, Ashwin made a heartfelt request on his YouTube channel, saying, 'It was unfortunate how Rishabh got out, and even more so how he responded post-match. I implore you, please open in every game. The LSG management, including Justin Langer, should encourage Rishabh to play freely during the powerplay and take on the challenge as an opener for all 14 matches.'

In LSG's opening match of the season, Pant managed only seven runs off nine balls before being run out due to a deflection from Mukesh Kumar. Throughout five T20 matches as an opener, he has accumulated 71 runs with an average of 14.20 and a strike rate of 136.53. Following Pant's dismissal, Markram stepped in but only scored 11 runs before being dismissed by DC captain Axar Patel. Ayush Badoni, who was promoted ahead of Nicholas Pooran, failed to make an impact, getting out for a duck after facing three balls. Pooran also struggled against Lungi Ngidi's bowling.

On April 5, LSG is set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as they look to recover from their recent defeat. Pant has a strong track record against SRH, ranking as the sixth-highest run scorer against them in IPL history. He is on track to surpass notable players like Shane Watson, Shreyas Iyer, and MS Dhoni. With an impressive average of 39.85 and a strike rate of 144.18, Pant has scored 558 runs in 18 innings against SRH, including a remarkable unbeaten 128.