Rishabh Pant’s gamble goes horribly wrong in Delhi Capitals clash, ends in shocking run-out twist

For just the second time in his IPL career, Rishabh Pant walked out to open the batting for Lucknow

Published on: Apr 1, 2026, 20:14:36 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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All the speculation around who would bat at No. 3 for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2026 lasted only until the third over of their match against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, as captain Rishabh Pant sprang a surprise.

Lucknow Super Giants' captain Rishabh Pant walks off the field after losing his wicket during the Indian Premier League cricket match (AP)

For just the second time in his IPL career, Pant walked out to open the batting for Lucknow, a move that instantly grabbed attention given his established role in the middle order. The decision hinted at a tactical tweak from the team management, possibly aimed at maximising the left-right combination at the top. However, the bold call ended in sheer misfortune following a freak twist of fate.

It happened on the final ball of the second over when Mitchell Marsh punched a fuller delivery from Mukesh Kumar straight back down the pitch. The ball was airborne, briefly raising hopes of a caught-and-bowled dismissal. But in a “horrible” turn of events, as commentator Kevin Pietersen described, the ball brushed Mukesh’s outstretched right hand, took a sharp deflection, and crashed into the stumps at the non-striker’s end, with Pant stranded well outside his crease.

LSG vs DC LIVE Score, IPL 2026

“Very, very unlucky,” remarked Murali Kartik on air, as Pant could only walk back with a wry smile, fully aware of the bizarre nature of his dismissal. The LSG skipper managed just 7 off 9 balls.

Pant as opener in T20s?

Interestingly, Pant, primarily a middle-order batter, has opened in T20 cricket before. Across 205 innings in his career, he has opened 23 times, scoring 672 runs at a strike rate of 159, including one century and five fifties.

While many of those opportunities came early in his career, he also opened for India during the 2022 series against England. Three years later, he revisited the role in IPL 2025 on a solitary occasion against the Gujarat Titans in Lucknow, where he scored 21 off 18 balls.

The move on Wednesday pushed Aiden Markram, who opened for Lucknow last season, down to No. 3. Whether LSG persist with this strategy remains to be seen, but the experiment underlined the team’s willingness to explore flexible batting combinations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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