ipl 2026 encounter between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) And Delhi Capitals (DC) The LSG captain witnessed a dramatic moment at the start of the innings at the Ekana Cricket Stadium Rishabh Pant Suffered an unfortunate run-out. Promoting himself to open the batting in a surprising strategic move, Pant’s experiment lasted only 7 runs off 9 balls and ended with a strange dismissal that left fans stunned.
In an effort to control the powerplay, Pant came out to open with his partner with the aim of bringing early momentum into the innings. However, the plan did not go as expected, with fate playing a cruel role in his long stay at the crease.
Rishabh Pant was out unfortunately
This incident happened on the last ball of the third over bowled by him. Mukesh Kumar. australian star Michelle Marsh Hit the ball firmly back towards the bowler. In an instinctive attempt to take the return catch, Mukesh succeeded only in a slight deflection of the fingers. The ball bounced quickly and hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end.
Pant, who had taken very good backup, was caught far away from the crease and had no time to recover. What seemed like a routine defensive stroke suddenly turned into a wicket, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the game. Pant looked quite disappointed after being dismissed as his rare innings as an opening batsman ended through sheer bad luck rather than a clear mistake.
Here is the video:
Rishabh Pant’s unfortunate run out at the start of the season
Early success for @delhicapitals ☝️#lsg 37/1 in 5⃣overs
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– IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 1, 2026
Starting role remains uncharted territory
Given his limited experience at the top of the order in the IPL, Pant’s decision to open even before he got out raised eyebrows. Historically, he has been more effective in the middle order, especially around No. 3 or No. 4.
During the 2025 season, Pant primarily batted at number 4 for LSG, where he produced one of his standout performances – an unbeaten century. Royal Challengers Bangalore. His performances as an opening batsman have been minimal, with only a few innings all season. Even in his first IPL season in 2016, he opened in a few matches but soon moved into a middle-order role, where he got more consistency.
The decision to promote themselves in such an important match suggested a proactive approach to the LSG captain, but the implementation did not yield the desired results.
LSG wobbles after initial shock
Pant’s dismissal dealt a blow to Lucknow Super Giants as the team struggled to find its rhythm. The batting unit faltered under pressure and lost important wickets in quick succession. Aiden Markram, Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Puran, And Marsh was out within the first 10 overs. At one point LSG found themselves in trouble at 71/5, putting the middle order under a lot of pressure.
