Rishabh Pant in pain (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: It was a worrying moment for Rishabh Pant and Lucknow Super Giants at the start of their IPL clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Wednesday when the skipper was forced off the field following a painful blow to his elbow.Pant just came in to bat and was trying to get against Josh Hazlewood. In fact, he faced three consecutive dot balls, failed to connect properly with the pace and rebound. The pressure was mounting and things were quickly deteriorating.
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Riyan Parag on losing RR Vs. SRH, pitches and ‘baseless comparisons’ On the first delivery of the fifth over, Pant went for an aggressive shot across the line but missed completely. He tried another big hit on the very next ball, but Hazlewood’s pace got the better of him again. Then came the decisive moment, a short serve that hit Pant painfully in the left elbow. Records later confirmed the impact and it was clear he was in serious discomfort.Almost immediately, the physio rushed onto the field as Pant winced in pain. He tried to continue but was visibly struggling. In an emotional moment, Hazlewood approached him and patted him reassuringly on the back as Pant decided to leave the field. He looked close to tears as he left, emphasizing how much he was in pain.When Pant was unable to continue, Nicholas Pooran stepped in as a substitute batsman. The sudden change disrupted LSG’s momentum, especially after they lost Aiden Markram earlier in the innings.It has turned into a tough phase for LSG, with Pant’s injury becoming the biggest talking point of the early games.
