When was the last time Rishabh Pant opened the batting in the Indian Premier League before IPL 2025?

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant opened the batting during his team's run chase of 181 runs against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match in Lucknow on Saturday, April 12. The southpaw walked out with Aiden Markram, after regular opener Mitchell Marsh had to miss the match due to an illness to his daughter.

It was the first time that Pant opened the batting in an IPL match after May 3, 2016. The southpaw, playing for Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) then, came out to open the innings with Quinton de Kock against the now defunct Gujarat Lions franchise in Rajkot.

In a chase of 150 runs, Pant smashed 69 off 40 balls with nine fours and two sixes and was adjudged the Player of the match. His side won the match by eight wickets with 16 balls to spare.

It was Pant's maiden IPL fifty and he also became the second youngest player to score a fifty in the tournament's history during the innings.

"It's pleasure playing for this team. I'm a youngster, and it's great to receive the support of the captain and coach. It's great to play under Rahul Dravid," Pant had said after the match (via ESPN Cricinfo).

Zaheer Khan, the captain of the Delhi franchise in 2016, praised Pant's knock, saying:

"A happy team is a winning team, and that's what you are seeing. Rishabh Pant was amazing, batting with Quinton would have helped," Khan had said after the match (via ESPN Cricinfo).

LSG bowlers help restrict GT to 180 for 6 in 20 overs

Earlier, the LSG bowlers made an excellent comeback in the second half of the GT innings to restrict them to 180 for 6 in 20 overs. The GT opening pair of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan put on 120 runs in 12 overs, but once the former fell for 60, their innings slowed down considerably and they could manage only 60 runs in their final eight overs.

GT came into the match as the table toppers with eight points in five matches, while LSG were positioned at the sixth spot with six points in five matches.

At the time of writing, LSG were 49 for 0 in 5 overs with Pant and Markram in the middle.