A year and a half after calling Rishabh Pant 'stupid' for his shot selection during Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, legendary Sunil Gavaskar has come in Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain's defense for his 'We're a f****** good team' remark in the post-match interview. Former West Indies cricketer-turned-commentator Ian Bishop had apologised for Pant dropping the F-bomb but Gavaskar finds flaw in the order of post-match interviews as frustration of a losing captain is natural minutes after the defeat.
“Rishabh Pant dropping the ‘F’ word in his post-game interview does make one wonder whether it is necessary to interview the captain whose team has just lost the game barely minutes earlier. If it’s been a last-over finish, then the disappointment for the captain would be even greater and if he is also the wicketkeeper who has been running up and down to the stumps every other delivery and that too in this heat, then it can add to his frustration,” Gavaskar wrote in mid-day.
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“It might be a better idea to speak to the ‘player of the match’ from the winning team and give the captain of the losing team a little time to splash some water on his face and regain his composure and then come over for an interview. As it is, there will be a bit of time for the presentation party to be ready, so giving the captain of the team that has lost, a few more minutes could well ensure that such things won’t happen.”
Pant has been at the receiving end of the criticism. Roped in for Rs 27 crore, there is pressure on him to deliver. Under his captaincy, LSG have failed to make it to playoffs in two seasons.
Pant offers solution to avoid F-bombs
Gavaskar wants IPL to follow the international cricket route. He wants the losing captain to be interviewed in the post-match presentation, giving him some time to recuperate after the loss instead of putting a microphone in front of him.
“Rishabh Pant is one of the most cheerful guys in the game who loves playing the sport in his own unique way. And the fact that even he lost it does make the case for the losing team’s captain to be given a few more minutes to recover his thoughts rather than have the mic shoved in his face even before he has had time to get his breath back.
“Is that too much to ask?” he opined.
Pant’s captaincy in danger, ordinary show with bat in 2 seasons
Pant-led LSG finished at the bottom of the points table with 10 losses from four games. In their last game of the season, the lost to Punjab Kings (PBKS) as Shreyas Iyer scored an unbeaten century in the successful run chase.
After the defeat, LSG’s Director of Cricket, Tom Moody said that there is a need to make changes. He hinted that Pant may lose his leadership position. The skipper has scored a century and two half-centuries in the two seasons he played. From 26 innings, he has 581 runs at an average of 26.40 and strike rate of 135.74.