Source- IPL

Lucknow Super Giants looked far more balanced earlier in the season because the batting order had clarity. Every player knew the role, the entry point, and the tempo expected from them. Then came the attempt to force-fit Rishabh Pant into the center of everything — and the structure started collapsing.

The biggest mistake was disturbing combinations that were already working.

Nicholas Pooran at No. 3 was one of LSG’s strongest tactical advantages. He was walking in early, attacking spin immediately, and controlling the middle overs with freedom. That role suited both his strengths and the team’s rhythm. Moving him away from that spot diluted his impact almost instantly.

To accommodate Pant, the entire batting order started shifting unnaturally.

Ayush Badoni was pushed upward, Aiden Markram kept adjusting positions, and suddenly the batting lineup stopped looking like a planned structure and started looking reactive. Constant reshuffling destroys clarity. T20 batting is heavily role-based. Most successful players perform because they know exactly when they are expected to enter and how they are expected to play.

Right now, LSG’s batting feels like a floating arrangement with no stable identity.

And the moment Pooran returned to No. 3 and delivered immediately, the larger problem became obvious. The issue was never Pooran’s form. The issue was the management disrupting a functioning setup.

The uncomfortable reality is that Pant’s T20 numbers do not justify building an entire batting order around him. Not in current form, and not based on recent consistency. He remains a high-profile player with immense talent, but reputation cannot become the sole basis for tactical decisions.

More importantly, if one player’s inclusion weakens three others, the trade-off only makes sense when that player consistently wins matches on his own.

That has not happened.

Even the captaincy hasn’t balanced out these decisions. There has been very little visible clarity in batting intent, role definition, or in-game adjustments. The team often looks confused between rebuilding and attacking.

Good T20 sides simplify roles.

LSG complicated theirs unnecessarily.

And when a team starts sacrificing collective balance to protect one player’s position, the cracks eventually show across the entire batting unit.