After a polarizing 2025 season, the spotlight has never been harsher on Rishabh Pant. As the most expensive player in IPL history and the captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Pant is under immense pressure to justify his price tag and his leadership.
With the Indian team’s white-ball spots becoming increasingly competitive, IPL 2026 is a very crucial tournament for Pant. According to team insiders, the strategy to unlock the “old” Pant involves a significant shift in the batting order.
The “Number 3” Blueprint
While Pant has spent the bulk of his career at No. 4, a report from PTI suggests that the LSG management has a new fixed top-order for the 2026 season.
“It is clear to the team management as well as Pant that his game is best suited for number three. This season the top-order is locked in with Aiden [Markram], [Mitchell] Marsh, and Pant. The middle-order is flexible,” an IPL source told PTI.
This move is designed to give Pant the maximum number of deliveries to find his rhythm, moving away from the “finisher” role that saw his numbers dwindle last year.
Why No. 3 is Pant’s Zone
While Rishabh Pant has spent the majority of his IPL career at No. 4, his statistics prove that he is a different beast entirely when promoted to one-down. In just 15 innings at No. 3, he has amassed 558 runs at a staggering average of 46.5 and an explosive strike rate of 173. This is a significant jump from his most-frequented No. 4 slot, where he has played 66 innings but seen his average dip to 34.0 and his strike rate slow to 143.
Even at No. 5, where he has managed a healthy strike rate of 150 across 31 innings, his average of 25.9 suggests a lack of consistency compared to the top order. The data is clear: the earlier Pant arrives at the crease, the more time he has to find his rhythm, resulting in higher scoring and a much more aggressive impact on the game.
The 2025 Slump
The urgency for this change stems from a dismal IPL 2025 campaign. Batting primarily at No. 4, Pant managed only 269 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 133. For a player known for audacity, an average of 24 was a career-low that resulted in LSG finishing a disappointing seventh and Pant losing his place in India’s T20I and ODI squads.
However, the precedent for a comeback exists. With peers like Ishan Kishan forcing their way back into the national scheme through domestic and IPL performances, a prolific season at No. 3 could be Pant’s ticket back into the “Blue” jersey.
LSG Probable Top Order (IPL 2026)
Aiden Markram (Overseas)
Mitchell Marsh (Overseas)
Rishabh Pant (C/WK)
Floating Middle Order (Nicholas Pooran/Deepak Hooda)
