Lucknow Super Giants’ captain Rishabh Pant surprised everyone by promoting himself to the opening position in the IPL 2026 season-opener against Delhi Capitals on April 1. This decision led to breaking up the successful opening partnership of Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh, with Markram moving down the order. The duo had an impressive partnership, scoring 574 runs at an average of 47.83 and a run-rate of 9.13.
Pant’s attempt at opening the batting did not go as planned, as he only managed to score seven runs off nine balls before being run out at the non-striker’s end. This move was a deviation from his usual position at number four for LSG in the previous season, where he scored a memorable 118 not out against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at number three. Pant had only opened in one match in 2025, scoring 21 runs from 18 balls.
In his IPL debut season in 2016, Pant had some experience opening the batting in four matches, scoring a total of 104 runs with a notable innings of 69 runs against Gujarat Lions. He has also opened five times for India in T20Is, scoring 71 runs from 52 balls in those matches.
Overall, Pant’s decision to promote himself to the opening position in the IPL 2026 season-opener did not yield the desired results, but it showcased his versatility as a player willing to take on different roles for the team. The match can be followed for live updates at the provided link.
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