Rishabh Pant, captain of the Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, has not confirmed whether he will consistently open the batting this season. In a recent match against Delhi Capitals, he was run out for 7 runs after a deflection from a fielder. Despite this setback, Pant's statistics as an opener are impressive, with a strike-rate of 159 in 23 T20 matches, including one century and five fifties. He noted that the decision to open is still uncertain, stating, "It's a 50-50 call, but definitely we'll see me in the top order." Pant also discussed the team's strategy, including the use of all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed as an Impact Substitute after a batting collapse. He acknowledged that conceding 16 wides during their defense of 142 runs significantly affected their performance. Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals' skipper Axar Patel praised young batsman Sameer Rizvi for his match-winning innings of 70 runs off 47 balls.