Will Rishabh Pant Come Back To Field Again? LSG Captain Leaves In Pain After Elbow Blow vs RCB

Rishabh Pant's stay at the crease was cut short in Lucknow Super Giants' IPL 2026 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru after the wicketkeeper-batter suffered a painful blow to his left elbow at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Pant walked in early after Aiden Markram's dismissal but lasted only a few deliveries before the injury forced him to leave the field in visible distress.

Pant injured after Hazlewood delivery, leaves in tears

Pant came out to bat in the third over after Markram was dismissed and faced just three balls from Josh Hazlewood before appearing uncomfortable. The injury scare unfolded on the fourth ball of the fourth over when Hazlewood banged in a short delivery and Pant attempted a wild heave across the line.

Replays showed the ball striking Pant flush on the left elbow. The impact left the LSG captain in severe pain, with the team physio rushing onto the field to assess him. Pant looked visibly shaken and was almost in tears as he received treatment. Before heading off, he even showed the bruised area on his elbow to Hazlewood, underlining the seriousness of the blow.

Why Pant had to leave the field mid-match

The reason behind Pant's sudden exit was the intense pain caused by the direct hit on his left elbow. After the short ball from Hazlewood struck him, Pant struggled to continue and eventually had to walk off the field for further medical attention.

Given the visible swelling and discomfort, the immediate concern was whether the injury would affect not just his innings but also his ability to return later in the match. His departure came as a major setback for Lucknow Super Giants, especially after they had already lost Markram early.

Marsh says 200 is no longer a safe total in modern T20s

Earlier in the evening, before the match began, LSG opener and Australia T20 captain Mitchell Marsh had spoken about how T20 batting has changed dramatically, especially at high-scoring venues like Bengaluru.

"Look, I think condition-wise, it probably is if you get a good wicket. I think in the past, if you made 200, you'd walk out to bowl, and you'd be feeling extremely confident, whereas now it's probably a different question: do we got enough? So it's exciting to watch, and hopefully there's lots of runs tonight," Marsh told broadcasters ahead of the match.

Marsh suggested that totals once considered match-winning are now far less secure, with batting standards and scoring rates continuing to rise in the format.

Powerplay expectations rising, says LSG opener

The Australian all-rounder also highlighted how expectations from openers in the powerplay have shifted sharply, with teams now aiming for far more aggressive starts than in previous seasons.

"65-70? It's probably more like 90 these days. I must admit, I've watched a few of these young boys, certainly the young Indians, the way they've gone about the power play and sat in my room over the last few weeks and gone, gee, we need to go pretty hard here. So it's a new element to the game. It's certainly exciting, and hopefully Aiden and I can get us off to a flier tonight," he said.

Marsh also spoke about his growing opening partnership with Aiden Markram, stressing the importance of rhythm and understanding between batting partners as LSG looked to put pressure on defending champions RCB.