No late heroics: Rishabh Pant’s brave return from injury ends in disappointment
Rishabh Pant made a brave return to batting but couldn’t make an impact in the IPL 2026 clash between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Wednesday, April 15, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Pant had retired hurt on a duck and later returned to bat, but managed only one run off six balls before Bhuvneshwar Kumar accounted for his wicket.
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Pant had walked in after Rasikh Salam Dar dismissed Aiden Markram, with the Super Giants having been asked to bat first. Early in his innings, Pant attempted to swing across the line, but Josh Hazlewood’s straighter delivery struck him, leaving him in visible discomfort.
The physio was called in as Pant received treatment, including a spray on the affected area. He was hit on the elbow and was seen grimacing in pain as he walked off the field retired hurt, with Hazlewood checking on him and offering a pat on the back.
PANT FAILS TO PERFORM AGAIN
Pant walked back out in the 16th over with Lucknow Super Giants at 118 for five, but his return failed to spark any momentum. Just an over later, Bhuvneshwar Kumar brought his stay to an end, thanks to a stunning effort from Phil Salt at deep square leg.
Dropping low, Pant whipped a full toss off his pads, a shot that would have evaded most fielders. But Salt had other ideas. Charging in from the boundary, he covered serious ground before diving forward to pull off a sensational low catch.
Rishabh Pant hadn’t had the best of tournaments, having scored just 104 runs from five matches at an average of 26 and a strike rate of 122.35. Apart from his unbeaten 68 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he had struggled for consistency, with scores of 7, 10, 18 and 1.
Pant would now be desperate to find form when Lucknow Super Giants next faced the in-form Punjab Kings on Sunday, April 19, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.
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