Lucknow Super Giants head coach Justin Langer is hopeful that Rishabh Pant’s performance will be excellent in the Indian Premier League 2026. Speaking ahead of the season, Langer said Pant has been in good touch in the nets and is expected to perform on all cylinders.

The most expensive signing in the history of the tournament, the Lucknow captain faced a tough run of form in the 2025 edition. Pant could only score 269 runs in the entire season, including a century in the final game.

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Justin Langer told the media on the sidelines of the LSG camp, “Rishabh Pant will be ready to go. He is training at the moment. We have a camp going on. He is firing. Champions don’t stay out for long. His last game in IPL 2025 showed how good he can be. So, that’s our expectation from him this year.”

Pant has started his preparations for the IPL during the T20 World Cup 2026, a tournament he was not a part of. wicketkeeper-batsman Has turned to Yuvraj Singh to revive his T20 career.

Yuvraj, who has worked with players like Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh, was recently seen training with Pant at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai.

Lucknow Super Giants had a poor campaign last season. Last season the team finished 7th despite their opening batsmen scoring a lot of runs. LSG will hope to get back on track under Pant’s leadership. The Langer-coached team will hope that the unit works together and the team remains injury-free this season.

Lucknow will play its first match of the season against Delhi Capitals on April 1 at the Ekana Stadium.

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Punjab Kings all-rounder Shashank Singh, while speaking to PTI during the PBKS event, stressed that the team will work on its shortcomings shown in the 2025 final and go all out in the upcoming season. PBKS, despite performing brilliantly throughout the season, lost the IPL 2025 final to RCB and missed the chance to win the maiden title.

File photo: Riyan Parag (R) of Rajasthan Royals with Sanju Samson. (PTI photo)

New Delhi: Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag The biggest talking point ahead of IPL 2026 has been addressed – the absence of long-time leader and star wicketkeeper-batsman sanju samson – with a surprising comparison that underlines the scale of the void left behind.Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Samson, the face of the franchise for more than a decade, represented the Royals for 11 seasons before being included in the trade Chennai Super KingsWhere he will now appear in yellow colour. In return Rajasthan brought England’s all-rounder Sam Curran and experienced Ravindra JadejaHint of change in team structure.

While talking to the media on Thursday, Parag made it clear that replacing Samson is not a straightforward task. “Sanju’s game is unique; he can’t be compared with anyone else. It’s like asking, ‘Who is there?’ Virat Kohlireplacement of?’ – That’s simply not possible,” he said. “However, every player plays to win, and everyone has different abilities.”Parag also reflected on the team’s shortcomings last season, especially in difficult moments. “We were losing the match in the closing stages. If we had played with more freedom – or managed to hit fours at crucial moments, or prevented the opposition from doing so – we would have gone ahead. This time, we are looking at those mistakes and correcting them,” he said.New-look Royals rely on balance, all-round strengthThe RR captain stressed that the team has worked on building a balanced squad. “We have a good combination of spin and fast bowlers. In batting too, we have a fair mix of right- and left-handed batsmen. We have high expectations from Ravindra Jadeja; he is a great all-rounder,” Parag said.On the question of venue and home advantage, Parag dismissed any additional pressure. “No matter what the venue is, there is always a mixed crowd. We control the noise and concentrate on our game. Our aim is to perform well, no matter where we play.”head coach Kumar Sangakkara Expressed confidence in the team’s depth and future prospects, especially young sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi. “He is very young but is showing great form. He is an important part of the team and we have a special strategy for him,” Sangakkara said.