Rishabh Pant’s bat takes flight
With modern-day cricket, it has been normal for the batsman to try out aggressive shots even from the very first ball. Most of them end with the ball either going towards the boundary or to the wicket keeper, but sometimes, an unusual event also takes place when the batsman can’t hold the grip on his bat. This eventually leads to their bats flying during the game, adding a fun element. Let’s take a look at some batsmen who unintentionally lost grip on their bat while playing shots.
When it is about a batsman throwing off their bat while attempting to play the shots, Rishabh Pant’s name surely comes to the minds of every fan. It has been the new normal for him to throw away his bat while attempting to play a shot, determining the strength he uses to play the same.
None of his matches now goes without the bat being spotted flying high in the air. This also happened a number of times in the India tour of England, in both the first and second Tests. Although the first Test match didn’t go in the favour of the Indian team, Pant continued his madness even in the second match.
Coming out to bat in the third innings, India had to set a huge target for England to chase. And Rishabh Pant seemed to have taken the responsibility into his own hands. He started off by bashing boundaries in the very first over he faced, which was followed by more boundaries in the over of Shoaib Bashir.
However, when Josh Tongue returned with the ball, Pant didn’t seem to stop. In a delivery, he attempted to play a lofted shot, but the only thing that was seen flying was his bat. The commentators also laughed off this situation, and the English fielders were thankful that they were not fielding near Pant.
The Indian skipper in the ODI format, Rohit Sharma, is known for his classic hitting skills, smashing the balls whenever he wants. But things do not always go his way, as it turns out to be a hilarious moment for the commentators and fans. On one occasion, he lost his grip on his bat while attempting to play a shot.
This happened in 2019, when Australia visited India for a five-match ODI series ahead of the World Cup. It was also a perfect opportunity for the team to gain some confidence ahead of the big tournament. However, a hilarious moment took place in the fifth ODI of the series, when Rohit Sharma was batting.
In a delivery against Adam Zampa, Rohit Sharma stepped out of the crease in an attempt to play a lofted shot on the leg side. But he was unable to connect with the ball, and Alex Carey missed no time in taking his wicket. During the process, another moment that caught the attention was the way in which Rohit’s bat went flying, and he was without a bat while saving himself from being stumped.
This incident of Rohit Sharma surely did invite a lot of trolls from the fans on X (Twitter), as some said that the Hitman is getting prepared to hold the 2019 World Cup trophy. He was able to dominate in the 2019 World Cup, creating numerous records, and he even finished as the team’s top run scorer.
Known for his clutch innings, Hardik Pandya also got his name on the list of batsmen who lost their bats while attempting to play aggressive shots. Coming down in the middle order, Pandya often plays the role of a finisher, but sometimes his finishing skills even go a bit of comedy.
During the India versus Bangladesh T20I match, when Hardik Pandya helped India chase down the target of 128 with a huge margin, he surely did play some aggressive shots. Whether it was playing at the deep covers or a no-look shot behind the keeper, he impressed the team with his batting style.
Bangladesh batted first, and the team was unable to score well, thanks to the dominance of Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy. Coming out with the bat at number 5, Hardik Pandya completed the job of a finisher, as he chased down the target of 128 in just 11.5 overs with 7 wickets remaining, and scored 39 runs off 16 balls.
In the last ball of the match, he played the match-winning shot against Taskin Ahmed. Although the teams were focused on the ball reaching the boundary line, but a moment that surely didn’t go unnoticed was Hardik Pandya losing the grip of his bat, which eventually set it flying in the air.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, also known as Captain Cool, also holds his name in the list of batsmen who lost hold of their bat. This surely is one of the rare incidents, as it is even rarer for the fans to watch Dhoni lose the grip of the ball when he is wicket-keeping for the team.
However, an incident took place in the South Africa tour of India 2015, during the third ODI match, which was being played in Rajkot. The Proteas batted first in this game and they were able to post up a total of 270 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. And this target seemed a bit easy for the Indian team to chase.
After the top order went down scoring runs for the team, including the half-centuries of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Mahendra Singh Dhoni came to bat at number 4. In a delivery against JP Duminy, Dhoni lost hold of his bat, which sent his bat flying towards mid-wicket. This incident sparked some hilarious reactions from the commentators.
Some even say that the bat slipped out of his hands due to the immense sweat from staying at the crease for a long time. However, he also received a lifeline at this moment, as the wicket-keeper missed an opportunity to stump him out. Still, India was unable to win the match, as they fell short of the target by 18 runs.
The star Indian batsman, Shreyas Iyer, also got his name in the list of batsmen who lost the grip of their bat, to send it flying across the crease. Iyer is known for his aggressive shots and smooth sixes, but on one occasion, he missed out, not just on the ball but also on the bat.
This happened during the India tour of South Africa, which took place in 2023, and Iyer was a part of the team. The first match was being played at Johannesburg, and South Africa were sent to bat first at their own home ground.
But the team didn’t perform well with the bat, as they got all out at the score of 116, with Arshdeep Singh taking a five-wicket haul. When India stepped out to chase this total, it was done with ease, but Shreyas Iyer had an unusual moment on the ground.
Shreyas Iyer was playing against Nandre Burger, and he hit the ball towards the mid-on, but it was not just the ball that took off. His bat also went towards square leg, as the Proteas fielders were also not able to hold their laughter. Later, Nandre Burger went to pick up the bat and give it to Iyer, making the moment even more hilarious.
Cricket has always given fans moments to cherish, from breathtaking centuries to thrilling last-over finishes. But it’s these unexpected bloopers, like bats flying high in the air, that add a touch of humour to the game. Whether it’s Rishabh Pant’s fearless swings, Rohit Sharma’s accidental slip, or Dhoni’s rare bat mishap, such incidents remind us that cricket is not just about records and trophies but also about enjoying these light-hearted moments.