Kamal Ghorui
It was another disappointing outing for Rishabh Pant as the Lucknow Super Giants captain failed yet again in the chase against Rajasthan Royals.Pant was dismissed for a three-ball duck, falling early in the innings to Nandre Burger in just the second over. The dismissal reflected the pressure situation LSG found themselves in after an early setback. Burger delivered a length ball just outside off at 142.7 kph. Pant, after initially stepping down the track in previous deliveries, attempted a wild slog across the line while going down on one knee. All he managed was a faint edge behind, with Dhruv Jurel completing a simple catch. It was an ill-judged shot from the LSG skipper at a time when composure was needed.Pant’s early exit came right after another blow. In the final ball of the first over, Ayush Badoni was run out for a duck in a mix-up with Mitchell Marsh. Attempting a non-existent single, Badoni was sent back too late, and substitute fielder Ravi Singh hit the stumps directly at the keeper’s end to catch him well short.Chasing a modest target of 159, LSG were rocked inside the first two overs, losing two key batters without scoring. The early collapse only added pressure on the middle order.Earlier in the match, LSG’s all-Indian bowling unit had done an excellent job to restrict Rajasthan to 159 for 6. Mohammed Shami led the charge with 2 for 30, removing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jurel in successive deliveries, while Mohsin Khan was equally effective with 2 for 17, including the key wicket of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.Prince Yadav also chipped in with two wickets, as LSG bowlers dominated proceedings with disciplined lines and a high number of dot balls.Despite that strong bowling effort, Pant’s failure at the top of the chase has once again put the spotlight on his form, especially as LSG look to arrest a losing streak and turn their campaign around.
