Rishabh Pant was struck on the left elbow by a Josh Hazlewood delivery in the fifth over of Lucknow Super Giants' innings against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday, and he walked off after receiving treatment. Play was halted after the blow, with the LSG physio rushing out to assess the captain, wicketkeeper and key middle-order batter.
Hazlewood had just returned to the RCB XI and hurried Pant with a hard-length ball angled in at pace. Pant was late on the pull, the ball thudded into his left arm near the elbow and dropped close to the stumps. He was seen struggling to move his left hand comfortably before spray was applied and he left with the physio.
For LSG, the timing was poor. The side had made a sluggish start, and Pant is central to both their batting and their structure in the field. He is one of the team's biggest match-winners, and any setback to his left arm is immediately a problem for a lineup that leans heavily on him.
There was still no confirmed official statement from LSG on the extent of the injury at the time of writing. That uncertainty matters because Pant has batted through pain before and has built a reputation for playing through setbacks, but this was the sort of impact that can change a match and, if the damage is worse than it first appeared, the shape of the team beyond it.
What happens next will depend on how Pant responds once the immediate sting fades, and whether LSG can keep him in the contest or must plan without him.
