Former India captain and commentator Sunil Gavaskar has defended Rishabh Pant after the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper drew sharp criticism after the Indian Prmier League (IPL) 2026 match against Rajasthan Royals (RR). The 28-year-old used an expletive after the post-match presentation, which has not gone down well.
Pant has also had a poor season with the bat and his captaincy has come under the scanner after LSG finished 10th and last in the IPL 2026 points table.
This year Pant has scored only 312 runs in 14 matches at a meager average of 28.36 and a strike rate of 138.05 and hit only one half-century. Under his captaincy, LSG managed just four wins all season. Several of Pant's on-field decisions have also been questioned by former players and experts.
Speaking to Ian Bishop after LSG's defeat to RR, Pant used inappropriate language during the live broadcast while defending his team: "We're a f*****g good team." Bishop immediately acknowledged the slip and issued an apology on air.
The clip quickly went viral on social media, with many users criticising Pant for his choice of words during a televised interview. While a large section of viewers disapproved of his remarks, former cricketer Gavaskar suggested that the broadcasters bore responsibility for allowing the moment to go live without intervention.
"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," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.
"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."
"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," he added.
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The former India captain-turned commentator believes talking to the captain just minutes after the match is over often leadS to emotional reactions. Gavaskar believes that the incident has painted a wrong picture of Pant in front of the public, who otherwise is a jovial person.
"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 wrote.
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