IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant created history at the IPL 2025 Player Auction by becoming the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League. The Delhi-based cricketer was bought by the Lucknow Super Giants in a tightly-contested battle with Punjab Kings for INR 27 crores.
The Indian wicket-keeper batsman broke the record set by Shreyas Iyer, as the latter was bought in the same auction for INR 26.75 crores by Punjab Kings.
The signing of Rishabh Pant has announced a statement of intent from Lucknow Super Giants, as the franchise aims to dawn a new era under ‘Spidey’.
However, the UP-based franchise look not-so-complete up top, as the side lack a world-class opener. With Nicholas Pooran an undisputed starter and a sureshot impact player in middle-order, Rishabh Pant can be seen as a viable option up top.
So many options, but where will Rishabh Pant bat for LSG in IPL 2025? Let’s find out:
Opener:
If Rishabh Pant opts to open, he will surely be pairing up with a right-handed batsman in-order to establish a right-left combo up top. Therefore, the best-suited options to Rishabh Pant will be Mitchell Marsh or Aiden Markram.
Considering the fact that IPL allows only 4 overseas players per match irrespective of the ‘Impact Player’ rule, it will be interesting to see if LSG opts to play both, Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh, as the franchise will definitely be starting the likes of Nicholas Pooran and David Miller in the Playing XI, to strengthen their middle order.
Ayush Badoni has emerged as a big talent in 2024, and can be a viable number 3 for the side. Keeping in mind the depth of the squad, and all the options up front, even if Arshin Kulkarni is used up top as an Impact Player, there seems to be no other way to push Rishabh Pant down the order.
Therefore, Indian fans will ‘potentially’ be seeing the left-handed batsman open the innings for his new franchise.
