Ā 5 hilarious moments of Rishabh Pant's batting caught on camera
Rishabh Pant is among the most innovative cricketers in world cricket at the moment. Plenty of work goes behind the scenes to execute unorthodox shots and while it does not always come off as intended, it gives rise to some light-hearted moments.
His penchant for such shots has made life difficult for captains and bowlers alike. There is no field setting that can quieten the flamboyant batter and no particular line or length that will deter him from scoring runs at a canter.
Right from his one-handed sixes to shots that defy the laws of physics, Pant has perfected the art that not many cricketers dare to hone. His unconventional shots have often led to some hilarious moments, whether it be in net sessions or during matches.
On that note, let's take a look at five hilarious moments of Rishabh Pant's batting that were caught on camera.
#1 Rishabh Pant's bat flies off during practice
Recently, during the buildup to the 2022 Asia Cup, Team India were going at it in a practice session in Dubai. Rishabh Pant, who came into the squad after being rested for the tour of Zimbabwe, was among the players honing their batting skills.
Following a spell by the pacers where Pant worked on playing yorkers, the wicket-keeper moved on to facing spinners. Slogging was the primary focus while playing India's tweakers.
As soon as Ravi Bishnoi came on to bowl, Pant stepped down the track and went for a wild slog on the leg side. However, he barely connected with the ball and his bat hilariously slipped through his hand and flew way over the nets.
Watch Pant's bat slipping through his hand at the 2:32 mark in the video below:
#2 Rishabh Pant almost hits Dinesh Karthik while batting
At times, instinct takes over when you try to protect your wicket. Such an instance arose during a clash between the Delhi Capitals (DC) and the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Playing in a day encounter at Sharjah, Rishabh Pant came out to bat at No. 4 right after the powerplay. The wicket-keeper managed to top score for his franchise on a sluggish surface.
In the 17th over of the innings, he went for an aggressive shot off Varun Chakravarthy, but only managed to get an inside edge. Thinking that the ball could bounce and hit the stumps, Pant attempted a wild swivel to protect his wicket. He almost hit wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik, who took a step forward to collect the ball, on his helmet in the process.
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The veteran wicket-keeper swayed away at the last moment and fell backwards onto the ground. However, all was well as Rishabh Pant immediately apologized. The moment induced a huge burst of laughter from players, fans and broadcasters alike.
#3 Pant falls down while hitting Jack Leach straight down the ground
Rishabh Pant surprisingly finds himself on the ground on quite a few occasions after losing his balance. One of the most notable instances came recently during the rescheduled fifth Test between India and England at Edgbaston, Birmingham this year.
Pamt played a knock for the ages after coming into bat in a perilous situation. It was a trademark innings by the youngster as he took on the bowlers. While his knock included several audacious shots, his slog down the ground off left-arm spinner Jack Leach ranks high on the list.
Batting on 92, he stepped down the track and slammed Leach over his head, but completely lost his balance during the follow-through and fell on the pitch. He could not resist a smile after getting up, with the broadcasters sharing a chuckle on air as well.
Pant eventually scored a scintillating 146 with Ravindra Jadeja scoring his maiden overseas hundred at the other end. However, his heroics went in vain as England won the contest by seven wickets to level the series 2-2.
#4 Pant loses control over his bat while attempting a wild heave
India were subjected to a monumental challenge during their tour of South Africa earlier this year. Rishabh Pant was at the center of criticism following his poor set of outings in the first two Tests of the series.
He stepped up in style to add another feather to his cap in the final Test in Cape Town. Pant recorded a hundred to keep India alive in the contest on a difficult surface. During the innings, he took on pacer Duanne Olivier in the 60th over.
He slammed Oliver through the covers for a sublime boundary, but completely lost grip over his bat. The willow slipped through his gloves, and Pant's powerful swing meant that the bat was released on a good trajectory and landed in the square leg region.
The youngster's unbeaten masterclass ended in a losing cause as South Africa chased down the 212-run target with relative ease. By doing so, they completed a fantastic comeback to win the series 2-1 after losing the first Test.
#5 Pant loses both his bat and wicket off the same delivery
This incident took place when the Delhi Capitals (DC) took on the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The match was one of the final contests of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign before it was temporarily suspended.
Mayank Agarwal led the Punjab outfit with KL Rahul ruled out due to appendicitis. The stand-in skipper scored an unbeaten 99 to help the Kings post 166/6 in their 20 overs.
The Capitals never felt the pressure of the run chase following a brisk start by Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw. The game was in the bag when skipper Rishabh Pant came out to bat in the 13th over.
The left-hander was seemingly in a hurry to finish off the game as he took on the bowling right from the word go. In his bid to score runs quickly, he slogged a length delivery from English pacer Chris Jordan.
Not only did Pant fail to find the desired connection, he also lost his grip over the bat while playing the shot. The ball flew towards the off-side, where it was safely pouched at cover by Mayank Agarwal while the bat found its way to the leg side and ended up in no-man's-land.
Pant walked back to the pavilion with a smile on his face over the absurdity of losing his wicket in such fashion. Thankfully, it didn't harm his side's chances as DC comfortably won the match with more than two overs to spare.
What other hilarious moments can you think of when it comes to Rishabh Pant's batting? Let us know what you think.