Rishabh Pant’s Late Appearance Sparks Debate in LSG vs. DC Match!

In a match against the Delhi Capitals, Nicholas Pooran got out during the 12th over when the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) had a score of 99 for 2. Everyone thought LSG’s captain Rishabh Pant would come out to bat next. Instead, Abdul Samad stepped in, which surprised many since replacing Pooran with another left-hander would have made more sense. The surprises kept coming. In the next over, both Samad and Mitchell Marsh got out, giving the Delhi Capitals a chance to come back strong. Still, Pant was nowhere to be seen. Instead, LSG sent in David Miller and Ayush Badoni, even though Pant, a talented left-hander, was available.

Pant finally arrived to bat at No. 7 with only two balls left in the innings. He attempted a big shot against Mukesh Kumar but missed entirely. On the final ball, he tried to reverse lap the ball but instead hit it onto his stumps, leading to an embarrassing dismissal. You could see his frustration as he stormed back to the pavilion, with his face showing his anger. Was he upset about getting out or about coming in to bat so late? Former Indian cricketers Anil Kumble and Suresh Raina believed it was more about Pant coming in too late.

Kumble mentioned on Star Sports that while it’s okay to want to bat under less pressure, coming in at the last moment was too extreme. He wondered if it was Pant’s decision or if coach Justin Langer or mentor Zaheer Khan made it. Pant seemed visibly upset, even having a heated discussion with Zaheer Khan in the dugout after he was out. Raina speculated that their conversation was about Pant’s batting order.

Kumble also mentioned that Pant, being the captain, should handle his frustration better and turn it into a strong performance instead. It was a tough day for both LSG and Pant, who ended up collapsing to 159/6 after a good opening partnership. Delhi Capitals chased down the target easily in just 17.5 overs.

After the match, Pant said they need to rethink how they bat. He explained that they wanted to use Samad to take advantage of the pitch, but they got stuck afterward. He acknowledged they need to figure out the best way to win games in the future.