In a must-win match to keep their playoff hopes alive, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were handed a massive target of 237 to chase. However, their innings got off to a disastrous start, losing both openers within the first three overs.
With the scoreboard reading a grim 16/2, the pressure mounted quickly. Things only worsened when Arshdeep Singh, in red-hot form, dismissed Nicholas Pooran—LSG’s most consistent run-scorer this season—plumb in front, reducing them to 27/3.
The responsibility to stabilize the innings fell on skipper Rishabh Pant and young Ayush Badoni. The duo faced a daunting task on a challenging pitch at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. Pant, uncharacteristically scratchy, finally got off the mark with a six against Marco Jansen and followed it up with a couple of boundaries. Still, he struggled to find rhythm, consuming 14 balls with 10 dots, while the required run rate kept climbing steeply.
Under mounting pressure, Pant attempted to break free in the seventh over. Facing Azmatullah Omarzai, he charged down the pitch to a delivery angled away from him. Stretching out to reach the ball, he threw his bat in a desperate attempt to connect.
The result was disastrous—he failed to time the shot, sending the ball straight to Shashank Singh at deep point. To add to the chaos, Pant’s bat slipped from his hands and flew all the way toward square leg.
The bizarre dismissal summed up both the match and Pant’s forgettable IPL 2025 season. With their skipper dismissed cheaply once again, LSG’s hopes of pulling off a record chase dwindled further. It was a moment filled with frustration and comic relief, showcasing just how far things had spiraled out of control for the Super Giants on the night.
— ricky (@ricky5959046277) May 4, 2025
As expected, social media erupted. Twitter was flooded with reactions, memes, and trolls targeting Pant’s awkward dismissal, with many calling it the “defining moment” of LSG’s struggling campaign. What began as a high-stakes chase quickly turned into a collapse that symbolized the team’s inconsistency throughout the season.