NEW DELHI: It was a worrying moment for Rishabh Pant and Lucknow Super Giants early in their IPL clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Wednesday, as the skipper was forced to walk off the field after a painful blow to his elbow.Pant had just come in to bat and struggled to get going against Josh Hazlewood. In fact, he faced three consecutive dot balls, unable to properly connect with the pace and bounce. The pressure was building, and things quickly got worse.
On the first delivery of the fifth over, Pant went for an aggressive shot across the line but missed completely. The very next ball saw him attempt another big hit, only to be beaten again by Hazlewood’s pace. Then came the crucial moment, a short delivery that struck Pant painfully on his left elbow. Replays later confirmed the impact, and it was clear he was in serious discomfort.Almost immediately, the physio rushed onto the field as Pant winced in pain. He tried to carry on but was visibly struggling. In an emotional moment, Hazlewood walked up to him and gave him a reassuring pat on the back as Pant decided to leave the field. He looked close to tears while walking off, highlighting how much pain he was in.With Pant unable to continue, Nicholas Pooran came in as the replacement batter. The sudden change disrupted LSG’s momentum, especially after they had already lost Aiden Markram earlier in the innings.It turned into a tough phase for LSG, with Pant’s injury becoming the biggest talking point of the early overs.