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LSG vs SRH IPL 2026: Rishabh Pant hasn't revealed much about his opening position before their IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. During the toss, he was asked whether he would bat as an opener again. Pant was seen smiling shyly and didn't give a proper answer. A short while later, he was heard telling the broadcaster Pommie Mbangwa that they would decide their batting lineup during the second innings.

His reaction raised the question of whether they had already started to rethink their strategies, posting just one match this time.

During their tournament opener against the Delhi Capitals, Pant had batted as an opener along with Mitchell Marsh. This decision forced Aiden Markram to bat down the order even though he had performed consistently as an opener during IPL 2025.

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But Pant couldn't take advantage of that chance as he scored just seven runs off nine balls and then was dismissed by a run-out at the non-strikers' end. This early blow disturbed their batting lineup at their home soil, and they never could bounce back.

The Lucknow-based franchise posted a target of 141 runs, which Delhi Capitals chased quite comprehensively in just 17.1 overs. After the match, Pant was seen in a heated argument with both the owner and the coach, and the incident reminded everyone of KL Rahul's treatment at the hands of Sanjiv Goenka.

On Sunday, during their second IPL match, Pant was unable to give a clear answer about his batting position, raising questions about the side's approach. He had worked hard for the ongoing season, as he was seen attending training sessions with Yuvraj Singh, so that he could revive his white-ball career, a format in which he had been snubbed for the last few months.

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But the LSG skipper, uncertain about his batting position after just one match, has raised serious questions for the Lucknow-based franchise.

IPL 2026: SRH vs LSG

Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant won the toss in their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, opting to bowl first due to expectations of difficult batting conditions during the opening six overs.

The Rishabh Pant-led side made just one change to their playing XI, replacing Anrich Nortje with Manimaran Siddharth. At the same time, Ishan Kishan was ecstatic to return home and embrace the support from their home fans. He emphasized that it was crucial to remain calm and execute their plans brilliantly in this format.t.

"It's always good to get your home support, and the crowd loves the SRH team. So yeah, very happy to be here. There are just two changes. Livingstone comes in, and Harshal Patel comes in. Harshal Patel has done well whenever he's bowled here. And Livi, allowing him to use his off-spin as well against the left-handers," Ishan Kishan was heard as saying at the toss.

"In T20, especially, execution is the most important thing. You need to be in a good headspace, calm, and try to save as many runs as we can. So plan well and execute your balls. And I think let's see how it goes from there. We need to get these two points. But at the same time, we need to stay calm and take one match at a time. And that is the whole plan. Be in a good headspace, like I said earlier, and play your best game possible," he concluded.

The Lucknow-based franchise might be entering this match after losing their tournament opener, but SRH had defeated KKR during their last match. The host will try to win their first home match of IPL 2026.


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