IPL 2021: Rishabh Pant almost smashes Dinesh Karthik with bat while trying to save his wicket

Action is certainly guaranteed if Rishabh Pant is out in the field and it can come in any form. During his outing against Kolkata Knight Riders, the southpaw wasn’t really at his best as he struggled to score runs freely. Overall, he scored 39 off 36 deliveries as Delhi Capitals posted 127/9 while batting first at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Besides his batting performance, Pant’s antics also hogged a lot of attention. Like previous occasions, the dasher didn’t garner the limelight for making a cheeky on-field comment or playing an outrageous shot. Instead, he almost smashed KKR wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik on the head with his bat. Apparently, Pant was trying to stop the ball from going into the stumps. In the process, however, he couldn’t have hit Karthik. Fortunately, the KKR keeper was quick to react and nothing nasty happened.

It all happened during the first ball of the 17th over. Varun Chakravarthy fired a delivery outside the off-spin. Pant’s eyes lit up after seeing the width as he smashed his blade hard. However, he could only manage an inside edge after which the ball seemed like going into the stumps. In order to keep the ball away, Pant tried to smash it without realizing Karthik is just standing near the stumps.

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— Simran (@CowCorner9) September 28, 2021

Dinesh Karthik didn’t look happy with Rishabh Pant 

Karthik might have sustained a nasty injury had Pant’s swing hit him. However, Karthik reacted quickly and saved himself. It has to be noted the 36-year-old didn’t look amused with Pant’s act. However, the two keepers went on to share a fist bump.  Meanwhile, DC’s total of 127/9 might not look daunting at first.

However, the Sharjah track is slow and dry with the ball not coming onto the bat very easily. Notably, it was the very same track where Punjab Kings defended 125 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad33/3 Moreover, DC’s bowling attack comprises the likes of Axar Patel, Ravi Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, and Anrich Nortje. Hence, writing off DC won’t be wise for the two-time champions. It also must be noted this game holds great significance for the Kolkata-based team