Rishabh Pant’s departure as Lucknow Super Giants Captain has intensified scrutiny of coaching structures and support staff roles within IPL franchises, with Sunil Gavaskar suggesting teams may need to examine how decisions are being made behind the scenes. Writing in his column for Sportstar, the former India Captain reflected on Pant’s comments during the season and used them to highlight broader issues that could influence franchise planning ahead of IPL 2027.
Lucknow Super Giants finished at the bottom of the table after winning just four of their 14 matches during IPL 2026. Pant, who joined the franchise ahead of IPL 2025 for ₹27 crore (approx. US$ 3 million), later stepped down from the captaincy after a disappointing campaign for both the player and the team.
Questions over support staff influence
Addressing comments made by Pant during the season, Gavaskar wrote, “He did say on more than one occasion that there were too many voices in his ear and too many thought processes, which is definitely not a compliment to the support staff.”
Pant’s remarks became a talking point during the campaign as Lucknow struggled to establish consistency and eventually finished at the foot of the standings.
Discussing the captaincy change, Gavaskar wrote, “Rishabh Pant stepping down as the captain of his team, which finished bottom of the table, is the first change in captaincy for the next season, as there could well be many more before the new season starts next year.”
The leadership change is the first confirmed captaincy development ahead of the next IPL cycle, with franchises expected to review multiple aspects of their operations during the off-season.
Gavaskar warns against headline-grabbing claims
Gavaskar also turned his attention to the wider coaching landscape across the IPL.
“Whether that leads to a wholesale change at the franchise will be interesting to see. Talk is easy and it is cheap too and making big claims like some coaches have may make good headlines, but cricket has a funny way of biting on the backside.”
The former India Captain’s comments came amid ongoing discussion about the role coaches and support staff play in shaping franchise performance across a long tournament.
Andy Flower highlighted as an example
Drawing a contrast with a different coaching approach, Gavaskar wrote, “Andy Flower, the coach of RCB, which has now won two back-to-back titles, is a fine example of someone who works quietly, with no big statements that make headlines.”
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s recent success has placed additional focus on how successful franchises build and manage their support structures behind the scenes.
A message for decision-makers
Gavaskar concluded with a broader observation on the composition of support staffs across the league.
“And no golfing and beer-drinking buddies as members of his support staff either. Maybe there is a lesson there. If only those who appoint them could see that, then their teams wouldn’t be out of contention even before the first month of the tournament is over.”
His remarks are likely to add fresh momentum to discussions around coaching appointments, support staff selection and leadership structures as franchises prepare for another off-season of evaluation and change.
