3 Players Who Could Become Lucknow Super Giants’ Captain Next Season

Lucknow Super Giants might trade for Hardik Pandya to name him their new captain, following rumors that he wants to leave Mumbai Indians.

3 Players Who Could Become Lucknow Super Giants’ Captain Next Season

Lucknow Super Giants, following Rishabh Pant's decision to step down, are in search of a new captain. (via Crictracker)

In Short
  • Rishabh Pant has stepped down as captain of Lucknow Super Giants following a disappointing IPL 2026 season.
  • Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, and Ayush Badoni are the top contenders to replace Pant as captain.
  • The final decision on the new captain will be made by LSG's head coach Tom Moody and team owner Sanjiv Goenka.

Lucknow Super Giants officially announced that captain Rishabh Pant had made the critical decision to step down from his leadership role. It followed LSG’s poor 2026 IPL campaign, which saw the team finish at the bottom of the table after securing just 4 wins out of 14 matches. 

The development was confirmed through a social media post. LSG’s director, Tom Moody, had, in fact, hinted that the team might be looking towards a structural ‘reset’, with changes expected in leadership. In a later interview, he further explained that Rishabh Pant chose to step down because he had failed to reach his goals, indicating it was time for the wicket-keeper batter to focus on improving his skills. 

The 28-year-old was appointed LSG’s skipper after the franchise broke the bank to secure his services at the 2025 auction for a whopping INR 27 crores. Over the two seasons he captained the team, the Super Giants failed to qualify for the playoffs even once. Pant’s own batting form has been poor, with the left-hander having scored 581 runs in 28 matches at an average of just 26.40 and a strike-rate of 135.74. 

It has now resulted in a leadership vacuum, prompting LSG to actively seek a new captain. The selection of a replacement is expected to be among three current players, with the final choice to be made by Tom Moody, head coach Justin Langer, and team owner Sanjiv Goenka.

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Aiden Markram

Many former players have publicly advocated for South African star Aiden Markram to take over as LSG’s new captain. It has been argued that the 31-year-old’s calm nature is exactly what the team needs, ahead of IPL 2027. Markram has established himself as one of the most successful active franchise leaders, notably by steering Sunrisers Eastern Cape to consecutive SA20 titles in 2023 and 2024.

Aiden Markram
South African T20I captain Aiden Markram remains the top contender to replace Rishabh Pant at Lucknow Super Giants. (via News 18)

Markram has also been the Proteas’ T20I skipper since 2023, having successfully led the team to the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup and the semi-final of the 2026 edition. He, however, had a below-par 2026 campaign in the IPL, where he scored only 231 runs in 12 matches at an average of 25.67 and a strike-rate of 138.32, without a single fifty+ score.

Mitchell Marsh

Another established leader that Lucknow Super Giants can look up to is Mitchell Marsh, who finished as the team’s highest run-getter in IPL 2026. Across 13 matches, the 34-year-old scored 563 runs at an average of 43.31 and a strike-rate of 163.19. What puts Marsh on top as a contender to become LSG’s new captain is the unmatched experience that he has in managing high-pressure dressing rooms. 

Mitchell Marsh
Mitchell Marsh finished IPL 2026 as Lucknow Super Giants’ highest run-getter. (via NDTV Sports)

Having featured in the IPL since 2010, Marsh is also a favorite largely due to his extensive leadership experience as Australia’s T20I captain. Furthermore, he has a solid working relationship with head coach Justin Langer, who is credited with advising the right-hander to transition to opening the batting in limited-overs formats, a move that revitalized his career. 

Ayush Badoni

In case LSG decides to invest in a younger captain for the future, 26-year-old Ayush Badoni emerges as a contender. He is Lucknow’s fourth-highest run-getter of all time, having scored 1,178 runs at an average of 25.60 and a strike-rate of 140.90, with seven half-centuries. A lower-order batter and finisher, Badoni even earned his Team India call-up earlier this year, but has yet to make an international appearance. 

Ayush Badoni
26-year-old Ayush Badoni could be Lucknow Super Giants’ future skipper. (via X)

Not only does the young all-rounder understand LSG’s inner workings, but he has exclusively spent his IPL career at the Ekana since his 2022 debut. He has consistently been one of the brightest sparks whenever the team struggled to bat under pressure. Badoni also captains Delhi domestically, but appointing a young talent as an IPL captain might be a gamble. 

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