When did Rishabh Pant last open the batting in IPL?

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper Rishabh Pant came out to open the batting in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 game against Gujarat Titans (GT). Pant replaced Mitchell Marsh at the top of the order after the Australian batter missed the game since his daughter has been unwell. The last time Pant opened the innings in the IPL was in 2016 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). 

Pant had scored just one run off two balls as he was dismissed by Sreenath Aravind, caught by KL Rahul in the game. The left-handed batter has opened the batting just four times before this and all of them were in the 2016 season. Pant has scored 104 runs as an opener with an average of 26 and a strike rate of 136. The best score for Pant as an opener came in the game against Gujarat Lions, where the youngster had scored a 40-ball 69. 

So far this season, Pant hasn’t been in the best form with the bat, with just 19 runs from five games. The 27-year-old didn’t come out to bat in the last game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as his side scored 238 runs and won by four runs. Nicholas Pooran top scored with 87 not out, while Mitchell Marsh scored 81 in the last game. 

Gujarat Titans score 180 after LSG bowlers perform amazing comeback 

Put into bat first, Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill added 120 runs for the first wicket in 12 overs. Avesh Khan got LSG their first wicket of the game when he had Shubman Gill caught by Aiden Markram for 60 runs. Ravi Bishnoi struck twice in a single over to get rid of Sai Sudharsan for 56 and Washington Sundar for two runs. 

Shardul Thakur stormed to the second spot in the leading wicket takers of IPL 2025 when he got two wickets in successive balls. Thakur first got the wicket of Sherfane Rutherford LBW for 22 runs. In the next ball Rahul Tewatia went for a huge shot and Aiden Markram held onto a good catch to help Thakur reach 11 wickets for the season so far. Gujarat Titans ended the innings with 180 on the board for the loss of six wickets. 

Speaking at the mid-innings break, GT batter Sai Sudharsan was asked to give his thoughts on the pitch. The left-handed batter said, “The wicket was a bit difficult today; I felt it was not coming on really well but me and Shubman Gill had a really lovely six overs of powerplay. That gave us the momentum and that gave us a good platform to finish this good. First few overs, we actually didn't feel it that way, but after 3-4 overs, once the shine slowly went off, the wicket started getting a bit different.”