PBKS vs LSG: Why Rishabh Pant sent Ayush Badoni to open against PBKS in IPL 2026?
PBKS vs LSG: Lucknow Super Giants slumped to their fourth defeat of IPL 2026 on Sunday, falling by 54 runs to Punjab Kings in New Chandigarh. The loss leaves them stuck at eighth on the table, but the real talking point wasn’t just the score; it was Rishabh Pant’s call to have Ayush Badoni open the innings. The move caught fans and experts off guard, but Pant clarified after the PBKS vs LSG match that this wasn’t a snap decision. It was a planned move to spark some life into the top order and chase with more aggression.
The thinking behind promoting Ayush Badoni up the order
LSG have already cycled through three different opening pairs in just six games. Pant even tried opening himself in the season opener before moving back down after a low score. The team have been desperate for a solution at the top, and Badoni was the latest pick.
A key reason for the switch was likely protecting Aiden Markram from Arshdeep Singh; the left-arm pacer has a history of troubling Markram, especially when there’s early swing. Pant noted during the post-match talk that the move was calculated: “We decided beforehand he was going to open. We just kept it quiet. We wanted some freedom at the top so the middle order could just focus on finishing.”
How did Badoni actually perform on the night?
Before Sunday, Badoni had only opened once in the IPL, managing just 4 runs against RCB back in 2023. This time, things went much better. He hammered 35 off 21 balls during the powerplay, finding the boundary six times and putting on a quick 61-run stand with Mitchell Marsh.
That start gave LSG a fighting chance, but PBKS squeezed them in the middle overs, eventually holding them to 200/5 in pursuit of a massive 255. The Punjab total was built on the back of Priyansh Arya’s explosive 93 off 37 balls and Cooper Connolly’s 87.
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Badoni held up his end of the bargain. Moving Ayush Badoni up the order shows that LSG are at least trying to be proactive rather than just watching the season slip away. Whether Pant doubles down on this strategy could decide if LSG have any real shot at making the top four.
