Rishabh Pant gave Formula One drivers, notorious for using cuss words over the team radio, a complex on Tuesday. The fastest drivers in the world had been pulled up for using expletives, but after a pushback, the fines have been reduced, keeping in mind the ‘range of emotions’ they face ‘during competition’.
With danger lurking in every lap of the race track when driving at speeds in excess of 350 kmph and experiencing extreme G-Forces while braking and cornering, F1 drivers are known to let it fly in the heat of racing wheel-to-wheel, more so when the car is not up to scratch on race day.
In contrast, Rishabh Pant had time to reflect on the loss to Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Tuesday, as he spoke to Ian Bishop in the post-match interview aired live on national television.
“…it hasn’t gone our way and everyone knows that, but that doesn’t take away the fact that we are a f***ing good team,” the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain said while talking to JioHotstar. The unflappable Bishop steered the awkward moment to cultured territory by saying ‘Apologies for that. Thank you very much for your time’.
Pant’s frustration boiling over at the end of a season, with LSG in tenth place, is understandable; however, his use of the F-word was uncalled for. He may not be in the right mental space after multiple setbacks, but there is a decorum captains are expected to maintain even when under the pump.
It’s fair to say that Pant had a rotten day on Tuesday. Hours before walking out for the toss against RR, the LSG captain was dropped from the ODI squad and lost his Test vice-captaincy for the one-off Test against Afghanistan.
Any player proud to wear the revered Blue or Test Whites would have felt hurt, but the current group of selectors are known to make tough calls based on merit and not reputation.
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On the field in Jaipur, Pant’s day went from bad to worse. He was run out, RR beat LSG by seven wickets with five balls to spare, chasing 221. There were a couple of horrendous run out misses by bowlers who were positioned just a few yards from the non-striker’s stumps. But Pant has bigger problems than those misses. The litany of cricketing woes is long.
Even before the match, LSG were out of the Playoff race. Last on the current points table after nine losses and just four wins, a seventh-place finish a year ago. His poor batting returns, 286 runs at a strike rate of 140.19 this season, after an equally poor 2025 with his only century in a dead rubber since being acquired by LSG for Rs 27 crore, the most expensive player in IPL history.
Pant, as captain, has not been able to nail down a batting position for himself. He has opened the innings, batted at one-down, and on Tuesday, batting at No.4 to produce a snail-pace knock – 35 runs in 23 balls.
At the toss too, he seemed confused when answering basic questions about the Playing XI. But that could be attributed to a momentary lapse of concentration, or perhaps he didn’t hear Bishop’s question because of the fan noise.
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Coach Justin Langer didn’t mince words when talking about the captain. “Rishabh has been around for a long time. I think he has been playing in the Indian side since he was 18 years old. He understands it, and numbers don’t lie. So he will be the first to admit, it has been two very disappointing seasons with the bat,” he said following the loss.
Pant spoke about ‘too many minds’ and ‘too many suggestions’ impacting his decision-making, but IPL teams are packed with former greats in the support staff corner. It’s the nature of the beast.
For now, Pant will be better off finding his ideal batting position and making his bat do the talking. He should leave the use of the F-word to F1 drivers who compete in a high-risk sport. LSG may be a ‘f***ing good team’ on paper but wins are what a captain is judged on.
