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Cricket-Pant steps down as captain after Lucknow finish bottom of IPL

Cricket-Pant steps down as captain after Lucknow finish bottom of IPL
May 29 (Reuters) - Rishabh ⁠Pant has given up the captaincy ⁠at Lucknow Super Giants after they ‌finished bottom of the Indian Premier League for the first time, the franchise announced on Friday.

Wicketkeeper-batter Pant, ​who was picked up by ⁠Lucknow for a ⁠tournament-record $3.21 million in the player auction before the ⁠2025 ‌season, was appointed team captain in January.

But the India international struggled ⁠with inconsistent form as he oversaw ​a dismal ‌campaign in which Lucknow won four of ⁠their 14 ​matches, missing out on the IPL playoffs for the third time in a row.

Pant ⁠approached the franchise to be ​relieved of his captaincy duties and the team management have accepted the 28-year-old's request, Lucknow ⁠said in a statement.

"These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for everything Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as ​captain," said Tom Moody, ⁠the franchise's director of cricket.

"Our focus now ​is on the collective, ‌rebuilding and restructuring to reach ​the best standards."

(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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