IPL 2026: Why did Rishabh Pant leave the field after just three balls in RCB vs LSG match

Lucknow Super Giants suffered a setback as captain Rishabh Pant injured his left elbow after being struck by a rising delivery from Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Josh Hazlewood during an IPL match on Wednesday.

The incident occurred in the fifth over when Hazlewood delivered a short ball that climbed sharply as Pant attempted a pull shot but missed, with the ball hitting the bony part of his left elbow. He faced one more delivery before the pain forced him to take a medical break, with team physio Patrick Farhart attending to him on the field.

Pant appeared in visible discomfort and struggled to assess movement in his elbow before walking off. The extent of the injury remains unclear, with further evaluation, including a possible MRI, expected after swelling subsides to determine if there is any fracture.


Despite the injury scare, Pant returned to bat in the 16th over after Ayush Badoni’s dismissal, with Lucknow Super Giants at 118 for 5. However, he was dismissed in the next over, scoring just 1 off 6 balls after being caught behind by Phil Salt off Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Lucknow Super Giants remain among the lower-ranked teams in the league.