[ad_1]
India wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul led LSG for their first three seasons (from 2022), when the franchise made the playoffs in their first two years, though they failed to make the final on either occasion. The 2024 season was forgettable as they finished seventh on the table. For Pant, this is the second franchise where he will be captain. It was captaincy which was the sticking point for Pant opting to head to the auction after failed talks with DC, who wanted to retain him but were not necessarily committed to making him captain.
Ahead of the auction, LSG retained five players, the maximum number, retaining Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan.
However, they were on the lookout for an Indian player who could replace Rahul as captain. Pant, along with Shreyas Iyer were on top of their list. At the auction, they initially won a fierce bidding contest with SRH to bag Pant at 20.75 crore and then raised that to 27 crore to stub out the right-to-match challenge from Delhi Capitals. Pant, who represented DC from 2016, was previously their captain since IPL 2021, except for the 2023 season where he was out injured after his life-threatening car crash.
[ad_2]
