Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 19 : Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) team mentor Zaheer Khan has set the tone for his team's upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, promising an aggressive and fearless brand of cricket under new captain Rishabh Pant.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the former Indian seamer emphasized the team's intent to take the game head-on, reflecting the leadership style of their newly appointed skipper.
"You will see a fearless approach from this team," Zaheer stated, highlighting the mindset LSG aims to bring to the tournament.
Addressing concerns over injuries, Zaheer dismissed any negativity, pointing to Pant's resilience as a key factor in shaping the team's attitude.
"We are not talking about injuries. The captain himself has faced similar challenges, but he has a very positive outlook. The way he approaches the game, the way he puts pressure on the bowlers--you will see LSG play in that manner because the leader sets the tone," he said.
Pant has been entrusted with leading the franchise this season. Zaheer expressed confidence in his ability to guide the team forward.
"We have a very good captain who has been appointed this year to take the team forward. There is a lot of hope from him," he noted.
Pant's IPL journey with LSG could not be more poetic as he would start off his campaign as LSG's skipper against his former side Delhi Capitals at Visakhapatnam on March 24.
Pant has represented Delhi Capitals (DC) for his entire IPL career since 2016, scoring 3,284 runs in 110 matches at an average of 35.31, with a century and 18 fifties. He was appointed as the team's captain in 2021 and led them to playoffs in the same season. He was let go by the franchise in 2024 ahead of the mega auction and became the league's most expensive player ever at Rs 27 crore, bought by LSG, who later appointed him as a captain too in January. While there are speculations over his batting position, one thing is for sure, Pant fans are up for a thrilling ride!
Pant was also a part of India's ICC Champions Trophy winning team recently, however, he did not get to play a match. Pant has not featured in any white-ball game for India since August and a bumper IPL season could make him India's first-choice wicketkeeper-batter again.