In a moment that perfectly summed up the chaotic nature of T20 cricket, Rishabh Pant, captain of the Lucknow Super Giants, experienced a truly bizarre dismissal during their match against Punjab Kings at the HPCA Stadium on Sunday, May 4. Facing a daunting target of 237, Pant, on 18 off 16 balls, attempted to shift gears in the eighth over against Azmatullah Omarzai. The Afghan bowler had already tightened the screws with a disciplined line, and on the fifth delivery of the over, Pant tried to break free.
Charging down the track to a wide, good-length ball, Pant aimed for a powerful heave over mid-wicket. However, in a surreal turn of events, his bat slipped out of his hands mid-swing and soared towards the square-leg region. Meanwhile, the ball sailed in the opposite direction — towards deep point — where the fielder had no trouble taking a straightforward catch.
Here is the video:
The dismissal left fans stunned and social media buzzing, especially as cameras captured the visibly disheartened reaction of LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka in the stands — a moment that quickly went viral. It only added to the pressure already mounting on Rishabh Pant, whose struggles with the bat this season have been well documented.
Here is Sanjiv Goenka’s reaction:
This marked only his fourth double-digit score in the tournament. With just 128 runs from 10 innings at a lowly average of 12.80 and a strike rate of 99.22, his form has been a matter of concern, with only one half-century to his name.
The unusual dismissal and subsequent collapse underscored LSG’s broader issues as they failed to chase down the total, eventually losing the match by 37 runs — a defeat that further complicates their playoff aspirations.
