India, April 1 -- Rishabh Pant has opened the batting only 23 times in his T20 career spanning nearly a decade, with just seven of those appearances coming in the Indian Premier League. Five of those came during his debut IPL season in 2016 for Delhi, while the remaining two instances have been with Lucknow Super Giants.

Lucknow had experimented with Pant's batting position last season as well, notably in a game against Gujarat Titans. However, heading into this match, the focus had largely been on who would slot in at No. 3 for the franchise, with the choice seemingly between Mitchell Marsh and Pant. Instead, in a surprising tactical move, both batters walked out to open the innings after Lucknow were put in to bat first.

The gamble, h...