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NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant’s batting order has taken a surprising turn in IPL 2025, marking a rare shift from his usual role as a dynamic top or middle-order batter. In Delhi Capitals’ recent clash against Lucknow Super Giants, Pant walked in at No. 7 — a position he hadn’t batted in across his last 113 IPL innings.
This was only the third time in his entire IPL career that he batted so low, with the previous two occasions occurring back in his debut season in 2016.
The move, however, failed to bear fruit. Pant was bowled for a golden duck by Mukesh Kumar, capping off a disappointing outing as LSG wrapped up their innings at 159 for 6.
Mukesh Kumar, who cleaned up Pant with a sharp delivery, was Delhi’s standout bowler. He returned with figures of 3 for 34 in his four overs, claiming key wickets including Mitchell Marsh and Abdul Samad to derail LSG’s momentum.
Pant’s struggles with the bat have been a recurring concern this season.
Across nine matches so far, the DC skipper has managed just 106 runs at a below-par average of 13.25 — a far cry from the explosive form fans have come to expect from him.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.
