India's wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant once again failed when most needed, getting out for a 2nd ball duck in the final of the T20 World Cup against South Africa in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Saturday.
Pant, who walked in at No 3 at the fall of Rohit Sharma's wicket, lasted just two balls as he tried to the sweep shot to a Keshav Maharaj delivery, but top edged the full toss, only to be caught by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock for a two-ball duck.
This was his second successive failure with the bat, having been dismissed for just 4 in the semi-final against England, on Thursday.
Batting at No 3 at the ongoing World Cup, Pant wasn't at his fluent best, but managed to rack up 171 runs in seven matches, at an average of 28.50 and a strike rate of 129.54.
He was termed the wildcard for the final by former Indian cricketer and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar but it was not to be.
Following his duck in the final, the 25-year-old received a ton of backlash from Indian cricket fans who took to social media to vent out their frustrations over his inability to come good in big games, some even terming him a 'product of a PR machinery'.
