[Watch] Rishabh Pant's bat goes flying but manages to hit a four during the 1st T20I against Sri Lanka

Indian keeper-batter Rishabh Pant lost the grip of the bat while playing an audacious shot but still managed to get a boundary in the first T20I against Sri Lanka on Saturday, July 27, at Pallekele International Stadium.

Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka won the toss and invited India to bat first. The left-handed batter came to the crease in the seventh over when Men in Blue lost Yashasvi Jaiswal. Rishabh Pant looked sluggish early on in his innings, scoring 20 off 23 balls before going berserk.

In the penultimate over of the Indian innings, Pant attempted to whip the ball behind square but lost control of his bat. Despite this, he was still able to smash the ball for four before his bat went flying. The keeper-batter smashed two boundaries in a row before Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana got the better of the Indian batter.

Here’s the video of the shot:

India finished at 213/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Captain Suryakumar Yadav top-scored for the team with a 58-run knock off 26 balls, smashing eight boundaries and two sixes. Meanwhile, Pant scored 49 off 33 balls, with six fours and a six.

Matheesha Pathirana was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts, taking four wickets.

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Pathum Nissanka led the charge for Sri Lanka in the second innings

Chasing a massive target of 214, Sri Lankan openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis stitched an 84-run partnership off 52 balls. Nissanka played a brilliant inning; the right-handed batter smashed 79 runs in 48 balls, hitting seven fours and four sixes. Kusal Mendis also did a decent job for the hosts, as he scored 45 off 27 balls.

In the end, however, Sri Lanka were all-out for 170, after their middle-order collapse. Riyan Parag was the pick of the bowlers for the Indian team with three scalps.

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