Ace India keeper batter Rishabh Pant was at the receiving end of Sunil Gavaskar’s commentary that went viral, calling Pant’s shot, which led to the fall of his wicket, 'stupid, stupid, stupid!’ That clip went viral on social media, with everyone picking on Gavaskar’s over-the-top reaction to Pant’s dismissal. Months later, Pant recreated that moment in the latest clip.
The instance happened during the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia at the MCG last year, when Pant tried playing a cheeky shot against Scott Boland, only for him to mistime it to the third man, where the fielder grabbed it comfortably. His wicket came at the wrong time for India, as it almost triggered a batting collapse for them in the first innings.
Upset with Pant’s shot selection, who often faces criticism for his lack of match awareness, Gavaskar slammed him left, right, and centre.
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Calling out the game on ABC Sport, Gavaskar said, “You’ve got two fielders there, and you still go for that. You missed the previous shot, and look where you’ve been caught. That is throwing away your wicket. You cannot say that is your natural game. I’m sorry.”
“That is not your natural game. This is a stupid shot. This is letting your team down badly. You have to understand the situation as well.”
Livid with that dismissal, Gavaskar continued, “He should not be going in that [India’s] dressing room, he should be going in the other dressing room.”
Watch – Gavaskar getting angry on Pant
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" 😡
— ABC SPORT (@abcsport) December 28, 2024
🏏 Safe to say Sunny wasn't happy with Rishabh Pant after that shot.
Read more: https://t.co/bEUlbXRNpm
💻📝 Live blog: https://t.co/YOMQ9DL7gm
🟢 Listen live: https://t.co/VP2GGbfgge #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Fe2hdpAtVl
Pant recreates the clip
Shooting for an advertisement, Pant, wearing an orange jacket similar to what Gavaskar donned while doing the commentary, recreated the scene, shouting, ‘stupid, stupid, stupid!’
— a. 🎀 (@incessantkohli) March 17, 2025
Meanwhile, Pant switched bases ahead of IPL 2025 after spending several years at the Delhi Capitals. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) broke their bank for Pant during the bidding war at the mega auction, purchasing him for a record-breaking $3.1 million (INR 27 crore).
With that, Pant became the most expensive buy in the IPL auction history, besides being named the new LSG captain for the impending season.
Pant’s LSG will host the Delhi Capitals in their tournament opener next Monday (Mar 24).
(With inputs from agencies)