Lucknow Super Giants Name Rishabh Pant As New Captain Of IPL Franchise, Replaces KL Rahul

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The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have appointed Rishabh Pant as their captain for the upcoming 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Pant's acquisition by LSG was a record-breaking move, with the franchise spending a staggering INR 27 crore to secure his services, making him the most expensive player in IPL history.

While KL Rahul had captained Lucknow in the past three seasons, leading them to the playoffs in the initial two years, the franchise has opted not to retain him. Rahul, aged 32, was subsequently bought by the Delhi Capitals, where he will now take on the role of captain for the 2025 season.

As far as the coaching staff is concerned, Justin Langer has been appointed as the head coach of the IPL franchise, while Zaheer Khan will take on the role of mentor for the upcoming season.

The UP-based team also secured prominent players in the auction, including David Miller, Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, and Indian pacers Akash Deep and Avesh Khan. While Pooran, Marsh, Markram, and Miller were all seen as potential captaincy options, the franchise has chosen to appoint an Indian player as the team's captain for the upcoming season.

"The amount of strategising that was done revolved around Rishabh, it was done keeping him in mind. I think, time will prove that he is not only the most expensive player of IPL but also the best player of IPL," Sanjiv Goenka said at an event in Kolkata.

After being appointed as the new LSG captain, Pant expressed his gratitude, sharing that the numerous discussions he's had with Goenka since joining the franchise have made him feel warmly welcomed. He also expressed his excitement for the upcoming season, hoping for a successful campaign ahead.

"Amazing, overwhelmed by all the things sir said about me," Pant said in the same event at the RPSG Office.