"Paying tribute to MS Dhoni!"- Fans roast Rishabh Pant for slow batting against RCB

Rishabh Pant's knock of 58 off 48 balls ironically might have been the main reason why the Delhi Capitals (DC) suffered a heartbreaking defeat against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by just one run. The DC skipper was distraught that he couldn't get his team over the line and walked off in disbelief.

Former RCB batsman Shimron Hetmyer played a blinder for DC, scoring 53 runs off just 25 balls. It felt like the power-hitter from the West Indies would make his former team pay to let him go.

However, it was not to be as RCB registered their fifth win in six games this season and look like the team to beat this season once again after that hiccup against the Chennai Super Kings.

Twitter trolls Rishabh Pant for unusual innings

The past few months have been special for Rishabh Pant across formats for Team India. He hasn't put a foot wrong and has played a number of match-defining innings. So fans were disappointed and perplexed to witness such a rusty knock from the southpaw.

Others took the opportunity to troll Rishabh Pant as they believed his scratchy innings and poor strike-rate had undone all the hard work of Hetmyer. Here's how Twitter reacted to RCB's thrilling win over DC:

What a game we have had today. You will hardly ever say it when Rishabh Pant is batting but @DelhiCapitals needed Hetmyer batting a bit more towards the end

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 27, 2021

Strip Rishabh Pant off captaincy and let him play freely. This captaincy thing has made him way too serious which doesn't suit him at all. The guy plays well when he enjoys the game and this captaincy isn't letting him do that.

— Heisenberg ☢ (@internetumpire) April 27, 2021

Wish special young players like KLRahul & Rishabh Pant unleash their fantastic, already proven hitting skills in #IPL cricket, and not curb their aggression too much in the name of captaincy & responsibility. It's a tough balance to strike & they'll have to pass this test somehow

— Kaushik LM (😷 #StaySafe) (@LMKMovieManiac) April 27, 2021

Tonight it was Rishabh Pant playing a KL Rahul kinda innings. Unfortunately on the losing side, left the aggression for a bit too late🙏 58(48)*Classic last ball finish. M.Siraj just about made it! #RCB win by 1 run and to the top of the table again! #IPL2021 #RCBvDC

— Kaushik LM (😷 #StaySafe) (@LMKMovieManiac) April 27, 2021

It's okay Rishabh Pant ♥️We love you Spidey 💙Chin up @RishabhPant17 pic.twitter.com/2nLGUJ6qyx

— Asha (@ashaa_45) April 27, 2021

Worst IPL knock of Rishabh Pant

— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) April 27, 2021

Captaincy has transformed Rishabh Pant into KL Pant.

— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) April 27, 2021

Shishya Rishabh Pant paying tributes to his Guruji Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Indian culture 👌

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_v0hra) April 27, 2021

Can someone inform Rishabh pant that he has played a test knock. 46 ball fifty that's were they lost the match. Last 2 boundaries were more of the edge than middle.

— Rahul Kumar Gupta (@Imrahul19Gupta) April 27, 2021

#DelhiCapitals lost because of #rishabhpant’s poor captaincy and poor batting. #RCBvsDC #IPL

— Prateek Srivastava (@WCepiphany) April 27, 2021

Ricky Ponting To Rishabh Pant after Loosing Match Only for One Run..#BestHomeCommentator #ContestAlert@Housing pic.twitter.com/BhWTrkzG5x

— Harsh Patel 😎😎 (@HarshKasana19) April 27, 2021

Rishabh Pant. Regarded as one of the world's best finisher by Indian fans, supposed to be in his prime.. was barely able to score at SR of 100 for almost 42 balls i.e. 7 overs out of team's 20 overs.It's a good thing that his last name isn't Dhoni....#IPL #RCBvsDC

— Mohit Godbole (@mohitgodbole24) April 27, 2021

Chasing 172 runs was not going to be easy for DC as their morale had already taken a hit by a blitzkrieg from AB de Villiers. DC kept on losing wickets at regular intervals and were 92-4 when Hetmyer joined Pant at the crease.

Pant took his time to get his eye in, but found it difficult to shift gears. All the RCB bowlers were nailing their line and length and the 23-year-old wasn't getting any freebies to get himself going.

Hetmyer's counter-attack brought DC back into the game and with 25 runs needed from 12 balls with six wickets in hand, the match looked to have already tilted in the favor of Rishabh Pant and his men.

However, RCB's much-improved death bowling, led by Harshal Patel, once again came to their rescue. 14 runs were needed off the last over but it was Rishabh Pant who was getting most of the strike. An edge over third man meant that the DC captain could still have won the game with a maximum off the final ball.

But the wide yorker from Mohammed Siraj was too good for Rishabh Pant to put away and RCB won a thoroughly enthralling game.