'Just superb': Rishabh Pant's 100 gets LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka's Insta stamp of approval despite disappointing?season
Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant went on to smash a century, punishing every RCB bowler at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka seems to very happy with Pant's performance after having a disappointing?season.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant¡ªwho had frequently been dismissed for low scores this season¡ªcapitalized on Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) weak bowling to get back into form. The wicketkeeper-batter went on to smash a century, punishing every RCB bowler at the Ekana Cricket Stadium.
What fans were most eager to see was LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka's reaction to Pant's ton. Why, you ask? Because LSG hasn't had the best season in IPL 2025¡ªespecially Pant, who has struggled throughout. So, watching the captain regain momentum in the final league match made for a compelling moment.
Sanjiv Goenka is happy
Rishabh Pant celebrated his milestone with a somersault, drawing loud cheers from the LSG dressing room. The Lucknow crowd was also on its feet as their captain not only got back among the runs but also guided LSG to a commanding 227 for 3 in 20 overs.
While the stadium erupted in celebration, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka took to Instagram, posting photos of Pant and writing, "Rishabh... just superb."
About LSG's innings
RCB won the toss and chose to bowl but paid the price, conceding 227. Nuwan Thushara made an early impact by removing Matthew Breetzke, but LSG's decision to promote an out-of-form Rishabh Pant ahead of Nicholas Pooran turned out to be a masterstroke. Pant smashed 18 runs off a Yash Dayal over to kick-start his innings and went on to score a 54-ball century¡ªhis best knock of the season.
Pant and Mitch Marsh built a 152-run stand, with Marsh also notching a 50+ score and crossing 600 runs for the season. RCB's bowlers and fielders struggled throughout, and Pant's ton put the LSG camp in high spirits. Thushara was the only standout for RCB with 1/26, while the rest of the attack was taken apart. RCB now need 228 to qualify for Qualifier 1.
RCB vs LSG: Teams
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w/c), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Nuwan Thushara, Suyash Sharma
Impact Subs: Rajat Patidar, Rasikh Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Tim Seifert, Swapnil Singh
Lucknow Super Giants (Playing XI): Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Breetzke, Nicholas Pooran, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Avesh Khan, William ORourke
Impact Subs: Akash Maharaj Singh, Prince Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshin Kulkarni, Yuvraj Chaudhary
Karen Noronha is a versatile journalist with a passion for sports and K-pop. With over 7 years of experience at publications like IBTimes UK, DNA, and OTTPlay/DesiMartini, she seamlessly transitions between covering global athletic events and the dynamic world of K-pop.
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