IPL 2026: Rishabh Pant slams fake news of him getting released from LSG

Pant, after 12 matches in IPL 2025 with a dismissal average of 12.27, has only 135 runs under his belt

When the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 began back in March, one player who had the brightest spotlight on him was Lucknow Super Giants’ skipper Rishabh Pant. He walked into the tournament with a hefty price tag of ₹27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. However, the season for the southpaw went entirely downhill. After 12 matches, with a dismissal average of 12.27, he has only 135 runs under his belt. 

 

On top of that, his performance as skipper has also been sub-par, as LSG is already out of the playoff contention race with two matches to spare. The team could only gather 12 points from their 12 matches. Amid all this drama, rumours of him getting released from LSG before the IPL 2026 auction began to circulate. To make matters worse, on Saturday night, a news report shared on social media platform X seemed to confirm that Pant is indeed getting released from LSG. But on Thursday, Pant replied to the news, calling it “fake news with an agenda.”  Check full thread of conversation below:

 

 

What actually happened?

 

A social media post recently claimed that Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were planning to release Rishabh Pant ahead of IPL 2026, citing his ₹27 crore price tag as the reason. The post quickly gained widespread attention, sparking speculation across platforms.

 

Rishabh Pant responded firmly to the rumour, dismissing it as fake news. He expressed concern that such misinformation gains traction online and urged content creators not to base narratives on baseless claims. Pant emphasised that a little common sense and the spread of credible information would be more beneficial than creating false news with a hidden agenda. He further encouraged everyone to be more responsible and thoughtful about what they post on social media, reminding users of the importance of digital accountability. 

User replies: “You don’t call the shots” 

Following Rishabh Pant’s dismissal of the release rumour, the original poster, Vaibhav Bhola, responded by asserting that Pant does not hold decision-making authority within the Lucknow Super Giants. He stated that the call on whether Pant remains captain or not lies solely with the LSG management. Bhola urged Pant to let the franchise clarify the situation and concluded by pointedly asking him to enjoy what he referred to as his “last two matches of IPL 2025 as captain.”