Pant blames lack of 'clarity' for LSG's poor run in IPL 2026: 'Hopefully we can figure out, take it for next season'

Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant said it was a lack of clarity about roles that was to blame for the team's poor run so far in the 2026 Indian Premier League ahead of their must-win clash against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Lucknow on Thursday. LSG and RCB currently find themselves at the opposite ends of the IPL 2026 points table with Bengaluru currently third with 12 points from nine games.

LSG, on the other hand, have just 4 points in as many outings, and will become the first team to get knocked out of the playoffs race in the event of a defeat in the upcoming game, which will also take RCB to the top of the table past Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings.

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LSG skipper Pant already setting sights on 'next season'

Pant, who is under immense pressure to deliver as a captain as well as a batter, said that it was important for the team to have a stable environment, but it was important for Lucknow to be open to changes given their current situation.

"The only thing is moving with more clarity. We know we are the top players, but at the same time, when clarity is missing sometimes, it can happen in cricket. So most of the time, the talk is about clarity, and there are a few changes in the batting order, so hopefully we can figure out and take it for the next season," Pant said during the toss ahead of the LSG-RCB match at the Ekana Stadium, in which his Royal Challengers counterpart Rajat Patidar opted to field.

"Having a stable environment in T20 cricket is essential, but at the same time, when the changes are needed, you should be able to change something, because every time, doing the same thing might not give you the same outcome. So trying sometimes, especially where we stand now, trying is not a bad option for sure," the senior wicketkeeper-batter added.

While RCB opted for an unchanged lineup, LSG made three changes – bringing Arshin Kulkarni, Shahbaz Ahmed and Digvesh Singh Rathi getting included in place of Josh Inglis, Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan.

RCB had defeated LSG by five wickets when the two teams had faced off at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium earlier this season with the Royal Challengers bowling their opponents out for just 146 after opting to field.