India wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul led LSG during his first three seasons (starting in 2022), as the franchise made the playoffs in his first two years, although he failed to reach the final on either occasion. . The 2024 season was forgettable as they finished seventh in the table. For Pant, this is the second franchise where he will be captain. It was the captaincy that was the sticking point for Pant opting to head for the auction after failed talks with DC, who wanted to retain him but were not necessarily committed to making him captain.
Before the auction, LSG retained five players, the maximum number, retaining Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Ayush Badoni and Mohsin Khan.
However, they were looking for an Indian player who could replace Rahul as captain. Pant, along with Shreyas Iyer were at the top of their list. In the auction, they initially won a fierce bidding contest with SRH to bag Pant for Rs 20.75 crore and later raised it to Rs 27 crore to overcome Delhi Capitals’ right-to-match challenge. Pant, who has represented DC since 2016, was previously their captain since IPL 2021, except in the 2023 season where he was left injured after a life-threatening car accident.