India, April 5 -- Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has raised concerns over how Rishabh Pant is being handled at Lucknow Super Giants, suggesting there may be more going on behind the scenes regarding his role. According to Ashwin, the lack of clarity could end up confusing the captain himself, and he believes the franchise would be better off assigning Pant a fixed role for the entire season.

The debate around Pant's role began in Lucknow's opening game of IPL 2026 against Delhi Capitals, when the skipper made a surprise move to open the innings. The gamble, however, did not pay off. Pant managed just seven runs before being dismissed in a bizarre run-out, triggering a collapse in the batting unit.

Despite facing criticism fo...