Former Indian Test opener Wasim Jaffer has suggested that Aiden Markram should lead Lucknow Super Giants in place of Rishabh Pant in the ongoing IPL 2026. Pant hasn’t been able to lead the franchise from the front in the last one and a half season.
In the ongoing season, Pant has scored 147 runs in seven matches at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 132.43. Jaffer said he would also back Aiden Markram to open with Mitchell Marsh ahead of Ayush Badoni. The former Indian opener revealed the batting order he wants for LSG.
Jaffer said on his YouTube Channel, “LSG looks completely out of place right now, it’s hard to even know what to expect from them. If I were in that dugout, the first thing I would do is make Aiden Markram the captain. I would open with Markram and Mitchell Marsh. At number three, Nicholas Pooran, then Rishabh Pant at four, and Ayush Badoni at five. At number six, Abdul Samad, and at seven, Mukul Choudhary. That would be my top seven, and I would go with this batting order.”
Jaffer said Rishabh Pant should play purely as a player and he should not have captaincy burden on his shoulders.
“I feel a player like Rishabh Pant should play purely as a player. You get the best out of him when you free him up and tell him to just go out and play and win matches on his own. Don’t burden him with captaincy. I think Aiden Markram is a better captain. He has led South Africa very successfully, he is mentally strong, very composed, and I think he can get the best out of the other players. But this doesn’t look like something that will actually happen. This is just my suggestion, but if I were there, that’s what I would do.”
On the other hand, the former flamboyant batter, Jaffer, backed KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane to continue as a leader for the three-time champions.
“I think Ajinkya should continue as captain. I don’t see any issue with his captaincy. He started the tournament well and batted nicely, but in the last four or five matches he hasn’t scored runs and is clearly feeling the pressure, there’s no doubt about that.”
Jaffer wants KKR to make the most of Sunil Narine’s services as a batter at the top of the order and reckons Rahane should bat at one drop.
“But I think somehow you have to get the best out of Narine as a batter. You will have to send him up the order, because at number eight you can’t expect much from him, that’s not his game. Whether you want to play Seifert or Finn Allen, that’s your choice. Both are good players and aggressive batters. Ajinkya should bat at number three. I would go with KKR, because with LSG it’s hard to understand which team will turn up and what will happen on a given day.”
LSG and KKR will take on each other at Lucknow on Sunday.
