As the excitement builds for IPL 2026, set to commence on March 28, the Lucknow Super Giants’ head coach, Justin Langer, shared his insights on team captain Rishabh Pant. With only the schedules for the first 20 matches released due to state elections, Langer emphasized Pant’s evolving role in the team. He believes that once Pant taps into his full potential, he will emerge as one of the most thrilling players to watch globally.
Langer remarked, “When we see Rishabh laughing, smiling, and enjoying the game, we know he’ll be an exceptional captain. Last year, as he joined a new franchise, he was understandably eager to make a strong impression. However, we’re already witnessing a more relaxed Rishabh. He’s familiar with the players now, and we fully support him. His joy is infectious, and when he plays with that spirit, he becomes incredibly exciting to watch. I’m thrilled to collaborate with him again; he possesses a wonderful heart and energy, and his relaxed demeanor makes him a formidable force.”
In addition to Pant, Langer praised ace pacer Mohammed Shami for his leadership qualities, stating that Shami is mentoring younger players effectively. “During team lunches, you can see how the younger players hang on Shami’s every word. His vast experience makes him a true warrior on the field. We often talk about the big brother-little brother or mentor-mentee relationships in coaching, and that’s exactly what we have here,” Langer added.
LSG will kick off their IPL 2026 journey with a match against the Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
**IPL 2026 Matchup: Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals – Full Squads**
**Lucknow Super Giants:** Mitchell Marsh, Mohammed Shami, Shahbaz Ahmed, Anrich Nortje, Nicholas Pooran (WK), Aiden Markram, Avesh Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Himmar Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Rishabh Pant (C) (WK), Josh Inglis (WK), M Siddharth, Moshin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Arjun Tendulkar, Akash Singh, Abdul Samad, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Mayank Yadav, M Choudhary (WK), Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi.
**Delhi Capitals:** David Miller, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, KL Rahul (WK), Karun Nair, Axar Patel (C), Ben Duckett (WK), Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Rana, Kyle Jamieson, Lungi Ngidi, T. Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Pathum Nissanka, Ajay Mandal, Prithvi Shaw, Ashutosh Sharma, Auqib Nabi, Sameer Rizvi, Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel (WK), Vipraj Nigam, Tripurana Vijay, Sahil Parakh, Madhav Tiwari.