Srinagar: In a surprise India’s star wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant tried his hands at bowling during the Delhi Premier League match on Saturday.
Pant stepped up to bowl the final over of the match. It was surprise for everyone as Pant had never bowled in an International match, making his decision to take the ball all the more intriguing.
With the South Delhi Superstarz needing just one run to win, Pant’s over didn’t hold much significance in terms of the match outcome, as the Superstarz clinched victory on the very first ball. However, the unusual sight of Pant with the ball in hand led to widespread attention among fans and commentators alike.
While some viewed it as a one-off moment given that his team, Purani Dilli 6, was already on the verge of losing, others couldn’t help but connect it to Gautam Gambhir’s recent appointment as Team India’s head coach. Under Gambhir, a host of Indian batters have unexpectedly bowled at key moments during the bilateral limited-overs tour against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
The tour that kicked off Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as India’s head coach saw a surprising trend, with several prominent batters, including Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, and even captain Rohit Sharma, taking up the ball during the T20I and ODI series.
Earlier Pant looked a bit rusty with the bat in the league opener, managing to score 35 off 32 deliveries. The 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batter made a remarkable return to cricket during the 2024 Indian Premier League and played a pivotal role as India’s No. 3 batter during their victorious T20 World Cup campaign in June.