Rishabh Pant’s opening move misfires; watch freak run-out against his former team

Rishabh Pant’s decision to open the innings for Lucknow Super Giants ended in disappointment after a freak run-out cut short his stay against Delhi Capitals in their Indian Premier League 2026 clash on Wednesday.

Lucknow opted for a surprise tweak at the top, pushing Pant up the order in an attempt to attack the powerplay. The move, however, lasted only three overs before an unusual dismissal handed the early advantage to Delhi.

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The incident occurred when Mukesh Kumar delivered a full ball that Mitchell Marsh drove straight back down the pitch. The ball brushed Mukesh’s fingertips in his follow-through and ricocheted onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end.

Pant, who had backed up well outside his crease, was caught short with the ball crashing into the stumps before he could react. The Lucknow captain walked off after scoring 7 from 9 balls, visibly frustrated as his early gamble backfired.


The moment immediately shifted the early momentum towards Delhi, who had chosen to bowl first after captain Axar Patel won the toss. Axar had pointed to the possibility of early assistance for bowlers on a fresh pitch despite historical numbers slightly favouring teams batting first.

Delhi entered the match with a strong mix of experience and power, with players such as KL Rahul, David Miller and spinner Kuldeep Yadav forming the core of the side. Lucknow, meanwhile, leaned heavily on their overseas contingent including Nicholas Pooran and Anrich Nortje.

One notable absence from the Lucknow camp was Arjun Tendulkar, who did not feature in the playing XI or the list of impact substitutes despite being part of the squad this season.