A shocking development unfolded during the 40th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 as the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant came to bat only in the 20th over of the innings against the Delhi Capitals (DC).
The Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow is hosting the match between the Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals on Tuesday, April 22.
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Rishabh Pant bats at No.7 for LSG
Pant looked in a good mood as the match between the Lucknow Super Giants and the Delhi Capitals was about to start, as he was seen doing mischievous things at the toss.
However, as the innings progressed, things got tough for Rishabh Pant, and he started losing his cool. This was because he didn’t come out to bat at the No.4 position as Abdul Samad, who has been in good form, received a promotion.
Pant didn’t come out to bat at the No.5 or No.6 spots either, as David Miller and impact player Ayush Badoni were sent to bat. Seeing this, Pant, who was sitting in the dugout, looked quite frustrated, and he was seen having animated chats with Zaheer Khan.
He eventually walked out in the middle on the fourth ball of the 20th over when Ayush Badoni got out. This was the first time in nine years since his debut T20 year, Rishabh Pant batted at No. 7. The only other time he batted at the No.7 spot was in the IPL 2016 and scored 4* runs off 3 balls against Punjab Kings.
Meanwhile, in the match against DC, he bagged a two-ball duck as while trying to reverse hit the last ball of the 20th over, he was knocked over by Mukesh Kumar.
Pant walked back to the hut in frustration, and Sanjiv Goenka, who was in the stands, passed on a smile angrily. Overall, Rishabh Pant has scored just 106 runs in IPL 2025 at an average of 13.25 and a strike rate of 96.36.
Watch: Rishabh Pant embarrasses himself with No.7 move
BOWLED HIM!
#MukeshKumar knocks over the #LucknowSuperGiants skipper #RishabhPant & leads the #DelhiCapitals charge for revenge!
A fiery spell –
wickets for just 33 runs!
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https://t.co/nyTn7oL9yY#IPLRevengeWeek
#LSGvDC | LIVE NOW on Star… pic.twitter.com/r0oqyi5WXT
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 22, 2025
Scary Smile of Goenka after Pant’s Wicket
pic.twitter.com/5qEUQIQyk6
— 𝐒𝐮𝐣𝐚𝐥
(@HeroicRohit) April 22, 2025
Pant is someone who should be batting in the middle overs – Cheteshwar Pujara
Speaking on ESPNCricinfo ahead of the match, Cheteshwar Pujara said that Rishabh Pant should bat in the middle overs and picked the No.4 spot as the best for him. He elaborated:
“No, I don’t think so. Pant is someone who should be batting in the middle overs. Earlier should be at number three. Nothing earlier than that. There is no moving Pooran though. No, you can’t do that. So, the best place for Rishabh to bat is at number four at this stage. And not to forget about the way Ayush has contributed in that team.
“Because we haven’t spoken much about him. But he is someone who is holding the middle order together. And he has performed at a time where the team has been in trouble. And that’s where I think Rishabh can do the same thing which he hasn’t been able to do so far.
“But Rishabh, if he can, once he starts performing well I mean, he says that he has gained his confidence. He has scored some runs. But I still feel we haven’t seen the best of Rishabh Pant which he is more capable of doing it. And I am sure in another couple of games he will get there. But at this point, it looks like he is not there. And if he starts performing well then their batting line-up will be a lot stronger.”
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