New Delhi, April 2 – Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has disagreed with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant's decision to open the innings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, following Pant's brief appearance at the top order against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday.
Pant batted at the top of the order against Delhi Capitals, but his innings was cut short due to an unfortunate run-out at the non-striker's end. The dismissal occurred after a drive from Mitchell Marsh hit the bowler's hand and deflected onto the stumps.
According to Pietersen, Pant, who struggled for runs in the previous season, has put additional pressure on himself by deciding to open the innings for the team. He believes that Pant should not force himself into the top order and should focus on enjoying the position he bats in.
"When you look at the strength and depth of LSG's batting, is Rishabh Pant really an opening batter? I think he might have gone a little too far ahead of where he was in the line-up compared to last year. Last year, he moved down the order, and now suddenly it's, I'm going to come up to the top," Pietersen told Jio Hotstar.
"I think he just needs to go out and enjoy his cricket. Don’t force yourself into batting at three; enjoy the luxury of that position. I think he puts himself under tremendous pressure by opening the batting," he added.
Pant became the most expensive player in the tournament's history last year when LSG secured Pant for Rs 27 crore. However, his performance with the bat failed to justify his price tag. Although he scored a century, his overall performance remained underwhelming, as the ton came when LSG were already out of the race for the playoffs.
Pant scored just 269 runs in the 13 matches he played last season at a poor average of 24.45.
Meanwhile, LSG lost their first match after Delhi Capitals chased down an easy target of 142 runs in just 17.1 overs. Pant's batting position will again be a talking point when LSG face Sunrisers Hyderabad in their next match on April 5 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
