Veteran spinner Amit Mishra expressed confidence that the Lucknow Super Giants will seek a more suitable captain than KL Rahul, emphasizing the importance of franchises appointing leaders with the right mindset for the fast-paced T20 format. This bold statement from Mishra came even as he downplayed the heated on-field exchange between Rahul and LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka during IPL 2024.

Amit Mishra stated that an IPL captain does not necessarily need to be part of the Indian T20I team, but should possess a strong understanding of the shortest format and be a team-oriented player.

Despite making the playoffs in their first two seasons (2022 and 2023), the Super Giants finished seventh with 14 points from seven matches, tied on points with fourth-placed Royal Challengers Bengaluru who secured a playoff spot.

“The captain should be someone with the right mentality for T20 cricket, regardless of whether he is a part of the Indian team or not. The ideal captain is a player who puts the team first and leads by example. I’m confident that they will appoint a more suitable captain moving forward,” Mishra said in his interview with Subhankar Mishra.

Mishra expressed his disappointment after the Lucknow side suffered a crushing 10-wicket defeat to SunRisers Hyderabad. Following the loss, LSG co-owner Sanjiv Goenka scolded captain KL Rahul.

“Goenka was very upset after the team suffered two heavy defeats. In the first match against KKR, we lost by a margin of 90-100 runs, and the second match against SRH was over within 10 overs, making it seem like a mere net practice session. If I felt so frustrated, one can only imagine the anger of those who have invested their money (Goenka) in the team,” he added.

“The bowling performance was poor, and the team should have shown more fight.

However, the issue was not major. It appeared they had completely surrendered, but I believe the public and media exaggerated the situation,” he continued.