In one of the most bizarre moments of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant’s misfiring season hit a new low as he lost grip of his bat mid-shot and handed Punjab Kings (PBKS) a crucial wicket at Dharamsala’s HPCA Stadium on Sunday (May 4). (Points Table | Full Coverage)
The incident, which quickly went viral, came during LSG’s steep 237-run chase – a task that proved far beyond their reach as they slumped to a 37-run defeat.
Facing Afghanistan pacer Azmatullah Omarzai in the eighth over, Pant, then on 18 off 16 balls, tried to break the shackles. He danced down the track to loft a wide, good-length delivery over mid-wicket.
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But in a moment that summed up his season, his bat slipped from his hands and flew towards square-leg, while the ball went in the opposite direction – straight to deep point for a simple catch.
Pant stood stunned, and LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka’s disappointed reaction from the stands was immediately captured by cameras and has since gone viral across social media.
The dismissal was symptomatic of Pant’s struggles this season. In 10 innings, he has scored just 128 runs at a meagre average of 12.80 and a strike rate of 99.22. His only highlight remains a lone half-century.
After the match, Pant admitted LSG’s shortcomings. “Definitely too many runs,” he said. “We dropped crucial catches and didn’t pick lengths early on. But the dream is still alive. If we win the next three matches, we can turn it around.”
The LSG skipper also addressed the team’s shaky batting order. “It makes sense when your top order is batting well. But not every day they will click. We had too much to catch up and that hurt us,” he added.
With playoffs slipping out of reach, LSG now face a must-win scenario in their remaining games.
