Having made a splash at the IPL auction by acquiring Rishabh Pant, the most expensive player in IPL history, Lucknow Super Giants are all set to unveil the India star wicketkeeper as their next captain on Monday. Without disclosing anything, owner of LSG Sanjiv Goenka has called for the “special” media interaction of the IPL franchise where the jersey unveiling is also expected. Pant, who was bought by LSG for Rs 27 crore, would mark his second stint as a leader in the IPL.

At his former franchise Delhi Capitals, the captaincy became a point of contention, leading Pant to opt out of DC’s retention plans after unsuccessful negotiations.

Despite DC’s interest in keeping him, they were not fully committed to him leading the side, prompting Pant to re-enter the auction.

India batter KL Rahul led LSG through their first three IPL seasons (2022-2024), taking the team to the playoffs in their first two campaigns, though they failed to reach the final in either year.

The 2024 season, however, was a setback, with LSG finishing seventh on the points table.

Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Ayush Badoni, and Mohsin Khan were retained by the Goenka-owned franchise but they still were on the lookout for an Indian leader to succeed Rahul.

At the auction, they pipped Sunrisers Hyderabad, LSG to get Pant for Rs 20.75 crore, eventually they had to raise their price to Rs 27 crore to outbid Delhi Capitals’ right-to-match card.

Pant, who had been with DC since 2016, was appointed captain in 2021 and led the team until 2023 before a near-fatal car accident in December 2022 had ruled him out.

In the revamped LSG squad, Pant will be supported by key overseas players such as David Miller, Mitchell Marsh, and Aiden Markram, along with Indian seamers Akash Deep and Avesh Khan, among others.

Pooran, Marsh, Markram, and Miller were also considered potential captaincy candidates after the auction.

Pant will also have team mentor Zaheer Khan and head coach Justin Langer for company during IPL.

Former Indian all-rounder Sanjay Bangar hailed wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s scintillating half-century against Australia at Sydney, saying that the 27-year-old’s “bravery” has put India in a position from which India can win the Test match and draw the series. Pant scored his fifty in just 29 balls during day two of the Test match at Sydney. The half-century came after a frustrating wait to convert his fine starts into something more meaningful that lasted four Test matches. However, he lost his wicket to Aussie skipper Pat Cummins and India ended at 141/6, with a lead of 145 runs.

Speaking on Star Sports, Bangar lauded Pant for tackling pacers Mitchell Starc’s swing and Scott Boland’s length well during his knock.

“The kind of bravery that Rishabh Pant portrayed with his bat, that is the only reason I think that India is in a position where we are still thinking that we can win this match. If you keep this innings aside, the way he played, the calculative risks that he took, the way he played those shots, because Mitchell Starc’s deliveries swing in when the ball gets a bit old so he played the shots towards the square-leg. Scott Boland who hits the length, he stepped out and played him, where there was no fielder in the point region he played those cut shots.”

Bangar said that it was a “composed innings” and hailed Pant for his diversity, having played a hard-fought knock of 40 in 98 balls, with three fours and a six in the first innings and endured plenty of blows to the body.

“So it was quite a composed innings, it was not that he came out and started playing shots without even thinking anything about it. When he plays like this, he has shown that he is quite diverse and you also expect that when a player has played 40-45 test matches, the way he played in the first innings where he took those blows on his body, sometimes you will have to play like that and you’ll have to respect the conditions. And today situation of the match was such that a strategy a was put in place where he played counter-attacking innings and it is quite pleasant to watch when he plays those counter-attacking innings,” he concluded.

During the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Pant has not been at his absolute best but still made 255 runs in five matches and nine innings at an average of 28.33, and a strike rate of 59.02, with one half-century. He has been unable to convert the most of his starts during the series into big knocks. He is the sixth-highest run-getter in the series.

Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to bat first. India was off to a disappointing start yet again as the top order threw away their wickets, especially Virat Kohli (17) who continued his struggles with outside off-stump deliveries.

However, the fight by Pant (40 in 98 balls, with three fours and a six), Ravindra Jadeja (26 in 95 balls, with three fours) and skipper Jasprit Bumrah (22 in 17 balls, with three fours and a six) pushed India to 185/10 in 72.2 overs.

Boland (4/31) was the pick of the bowlers for the Aussies and once again a thorn in the eyes of Indian batters. Mitchell Starc took 3/49 while Pat Cummins got 2/37.

In their first innings, Australia lost wickets at regular intervals even when Jasprit Bumrah (2/33) walked off the field due to an injury scare. Under the stand-in skipper Virat, India continued to dominate the Aussies, skittling them out for just 181 runs and taking a four-run lead. Debutant Beau Webster (57 in 105 balls, with five fours) had a fine showing with the bat and Steve Smith (33 in 57 balls, with four boundaries and a six) showed some attacking intent.

Prasidh Krishna (3/42) and Mohammed Siraj (3/51) were the top bowlers for India.

In their second innings, despite a promising start by Yashasvi Jaiswal (22 in 35 balls, with four boundaries) and KL Rahul (13), Indian batters fell to trap of Boland’s (4/42) impressive lines and lengths, with KL, Shubman Gill (13), Virat (6), Nitish Kumar Reddy (8) falling cheaply to consolidate Australia’s position in the match. At the end of the day, India made 141/6, with Jadeja (8*) and Sundar (6*).

Australia star Travis Head has not only tormented India with the bat during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, his bowling kickstarted India’s downfall on Day 5 of the fourth Test in Melbourne. With Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant well set and the game heading towards a draw, Head got Pant out. However, after taking the wicket, Head reacted with a rather bizarre celebration, putting his finger into his hole-shaped other hand, and drawing criticism from fans. However, Australia captain Pat Cummins has given an explanation behind it.

When asked in a post-match press conference regarding Head’s celebration, Cummins, at first, admitted to having not seen it. When he finally learnt the description of the celebration from Australia’s team manager, Cummins provided an explanation.

“Oh, sorry! Yes, okay! I can explain that. His finger is so hot, that he is going to put it in a cup of ice. Yes, that’s what it is,” Cummins tried to explain to the media.

“That’s normally the running joke. Was it at the Gabba or somewhere, where he got a wicket as well and just got straight to the fridge, grabs a bucket of ice, puts his finger in and just walks in front of Lyno (Nathan Lyon). Just like that, thinks its very funny,” Cummins added.

“So that’s what it would have been, nothing else,” Cummins concluded.

While the celebration may also have another meaning, Cummins’ constant smile suggests that his explanation may well have been in jest of the situation.

Head’s celebration may have kickstarted India’s collapse in the final session, but it was skipper Cummins who was given the Player of the Match award.

Cummins chipped in with six wickets and played two crucial knocks of 49 and 41 in the game.

Australia took a 2-1 lead in the five-Test series, and look good for a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final.

Travis Head’s controversial wicket celebration.© X (formerly Twitter)

Delhi Capitals newly-appointed head coach Hemang Badani has shared some surprising details on Rishabh Pant‘s non-retention by the franchise. Notably, Pant, who had joined DC in 2016, was released by the side ahead of the IPL 2025 Auction. The wicketkeeper-batter then scripted Indian Premier League history by becoming the costliest player with a tag of Rs 27 crore. Lucknow Super Giants bagged the player at the mega auction. The bidding war even saw DC trying to use their Right-To-Match card and buy back Pant for Rs 21 crore. As per the rules of the RTM option, LSG were offerred a chance to make a new and final bid, which DC failed to match.

In a recent interaction, Badani has revealed that Pant didn’t want to be retained by the DC franchise as he felt his worth was more than Rs 18 crore.

“I think it’s the other way around. He wanted not to be retained. He said he wanted to go to the auction and test the market. If you want to retain a player, both parties (the team and the player) have to agree on certain things. We tried talking to him, the management tried talking to him. There were a lot of phone calls and messages exchanged,” Hemang Badani told Subramaniam Badrinath in a YouTube show as quoted by India Today.

“Yes (Delhi Capitals were interested in retaining him). He said he wanted to go to the auction and test the mark. He said he had a feeling that there were chances he would get more money than the highest cap for retained player, which is Rs 18 crore.

“And, at the end of the day, he felt he was worth more. And the market said the same thing. He got Rs 27 crore. Good for him. He is a very good player. We will obviously miss him. But, life goes on,” he added.

Interestingly, earlier in a social media post, Pant had said that leaving DC had nothing to take with money. “My retention wasn’t about the money for sure that  I can say,” he had written on X.

Meanwhile, DC co-owner Parth Jindal’s statement regarding the topic was on similar lines.

“It was just a different philosophy of how he wanted the franchise to operate and how us – the owners – wanted the franchise to operate. That’s what caused it (Pant’s departure). There’s nothing to do with money,” Jindal had told ‘ESPNCricinfo’.

File photo of Rishabh Pant.© BCCI

Since the time India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been back to playing cricket, one understands that everything around him related to his fitness and recovery has been very strict and tailor-made. In terms of nutrition too, Pant now has a private chef named Akshay Arora, the founder of Mumbai-based Neat Meals, who travels with him for his cricket commitments. Arora has the all-important responsibility of carefully monitoring and managing Pant’s dietary needs in a partnership with his nutritionist Shweta Shah.

“Rishabh used to go to hotels, but we weren’t getting good chefs, which affected the ability to follow the nutrition plan for him. I told his manager that we were not progressing as planned, and that’s how we got Akshay on board. With him, we were assured that Rishabh was eating clean, tailored meals and not consuming processed foods,” said Shweta to IANS.

Shweta, who was also in charge of Pant regaining his groove via a meticulous nutrition plan when recovering from various injuries suffered in a life-threatening car accident in December 2022, also emphasised on Pant eating anti-inflammatory foods and hydration for enhancing the process of quicker recovery between games.

“For instance, I might just mention ‘chicken’ in the diet plan, but Akshay would create a variety of dishes that we had never thought of, keeping the diet interesting while maintaining the nutritional integrity.

“We tried this for only for one or two months, starting from end of January 2024. But now he just wants to keep on continuing. Having a private chef, it ensures consistency, quality and a performance focused approach for a cricketer like him,” she added.

Arora, a private chef who focuses on athlete nutrition, faces the crucial task of creating meals that are both delicious and nutritious, while also keeping Pant interested in eating his food.

“For example, you say give him 40 grams of rice, right? Rice can be rice noodle, dosa, cracker, or rice itself. It’s about kind of creating that variety with different ingredients and make sure that the client does not get buffed by the monotony of the food.”

“If you keep on giving someone the same kind of food, especially for someone like Rishabh, who openly talks about him being a foodie, it was very clear from day that we have to make sure there is enough variety for him to not get bored and be consistent with it. He’s actually been very open to having different kinds of food,” he said to IANS.

Arora also explains that energy is described using various scientific terms and, in terms of nutrition for Pant, it refers to the nutrients that the player has not received sufficient supply of. “There are two parts to this – one is the taste aspect, which is talking about culinary skills and taste of the food. The other aspect would be the macro nutrition. It could be like on certain game days, you’ve not had those many carbs.”

“So, we understand now maybe we need to tweak a little bit and give him a little bit of carbs so that he recovers. At times, maybe he’s not had that much of protein during his game day because he doesn’t want to feel too heavy. So, you then again tweak.”

“It’s very like, how do I put it out? It’s tailor-made, and involves a lot of conversations that me and Shweta mam have had. There have been decisions that we’ve had to take on field rather than just pre-empting that this would happen and this is the plan that we have to stick to,” he adds.

Arora warmly remembers two particularly fulfilling moments:- of seeing Pant come back to cricket via IPL 2024 and witnessing him slamming a Test century on return to the format against Bangladesh in Chennai.

“The most satisfying moment of my travel with him as a private chef would be the Test hundred in Chennai, as it was long overdue. When he walked out on the field for the first time in this year’s IPL at Mullanpur, I captured a video of it on my phone, which is still there. It was a moment that kind of made me also emotional, although I had not known him for that long back then.”

“But whatever time I had spent with him before getting him onto the field, that became a very emotional moment on seeing him walking onto the field for the first time, as there was a question mark on him until he made his comeback.”

“But the Test hundred in Chennai, while wearing the Indian jersey, has a completely different feeling altogether because you are representing your country and not an IPL team. I also have the video of the one when he took those last two runs to complete his hundred, and that was a very proud feeling for me.”

Arora also believes the trend of private chefs will gain traction among Indian cricketers, as it contributes to longevity in their playing careers. “It’s not just about losing weight anymore. Players now realize that clean eating and proper nutrition make a significant difference in their on-field performance.

“It will take time for the trend to fully take hold, but as more players see the benefits of this approach, it will likely become more common. It also comes under the concept of rehab, and investing into services that help them recover faster, last longer, and create longevity for their playing careers. These are all concepts that have come in now and people are seeing results from it,” he concluded.

File image of Sourav Ganguly.© X (Twitter)

A harsh sun beating down on him, Rishabh Pant was engrossed preparing for his first Test in two years, taking down net bowlers in that unmistakably Pant-ish way. From getting tossed up some 40m into air off a toppled car to getting back to cricket field at the highest level is nothing less than extraordinary. It was hard to believe that 632 days have passed since Pant has played a Test match, and, coincidentally, his last five-day game was also against Bangladesh in 2022.

Now, the same opposition awaits him on his return to Test cricket come Thursday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, and while the cricketing landscape around him remains largely unchanged, though some worthy contenders have come up in the interim.

Dhruv Jurel has impressed all with a gritty outing in front and behind the stumps during the home series against England earlier this year.

None could have faulted the team management if they continued with Jurel for this match, but head coach Gautam Gambhir underlined the value Pant brings to the table.

“We all know how destructive he can be (as a batter) and what he can do in Test cricket. Obviously, it gives him the freedom to go out there and express himself. He has got runs everywhere around the world.

“It is always good to have someone like him who can open the game for us and more importantly can bring a lot of impact as well,” Gambhir said in the pre-match press meet here.

Of course, Pant has made his return to international cricket through the white ball formats, and was a part of India’s T20 World Cup winning squad too but the long-format matches offer a vastly different challenge in terms of skills and the duration of concentration.

Pant showed his readiness for the grind of red-ball cricket while playing for India B in the recent Duleep Trophy match at Bengaluru.

After a rather nervy 10-ball seven in the first innings against India A, Pant showcased his full range with a 47-ball 61 that contained nine fours and two sixes.

He tumbled, shuffled across and went deep into crease during that knock, but the management could have been more eager to see how he responded to the task of wicket-keeping.

Pant aced that test with flying colours, taking seven catches, five alone in the second innings, in that match.

The 26-year-old flew around behind the stumps to latch on to catches way down the leg side, a telltale sign of a wicket-keeper’s anticipation and agility, and was in the right position when the spinners operated.

Jurel played for India A, but it was clear that the match was more of an audition for Pant ahead of his reintegration into Test cricket, which was supported by a quick assessment by the NCA physios.

Gambhir delved on Pant’s role as a wicketkeeper.

“Not only with his batting, he has been excellent behind the stumps as well. Probably his batting overshadows his keeping many times.

“But actually, see what he has done in Indian conditions…it is never easy to keep against people like Ashwin, Jadeja and Kuldeep. So, what he has done behind the stumps has been remarkable.

“Obviously, he brings a lot of good things to the Test side. Not only from the batting point of view, but from the keeping point of view as well,” Gambhir detailed.

Above all this, Pant gives a different angle to the whole game of cricket with his attitude. Ricky Ponting, who worked with Pant at Delhi Capitals, gave an insight.

“He’s an infectious character to have around the group. He loves his cricket. He’s a winner. He doesn’t just play to make a few runs and be out there for the fun of it,” Ponting recently told Sky Sports.

So, welcome back Spidey!

Out-of-favour India batter Shikhar Dhawan and his national and state teammate Rishabh Pant shared a heartwarming moment during the Delhi Premier League 2024 opener at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday. Dhawan is the co-owner of South Delhi Superstars while Pant is the captain of the Purani Dilli 6 team. The two sides were playing against each other in the opening game of the tournament. On the sidelines of the match, Dhawan was giving an interview to the host broadcaster. During this time, Pant — after getting dismissed for a 35 off 32 — was walking past him. Dhawan stopped his interview mid-way and shared a warm hug with the wicketkeeper-batter. The picture is going viral on social media.

Rishabh Pant hugged Shikhar Dhawan after getting dismissed in the Delhi Premier League. #RishabhPant #ShikharDhawan #DelhiPremierLeagueT20 #DPLT20#RishabhPant pic.twitter.com/w7MApbWieZ

— Pawan Yadav (@PawanYa58815015) August 18, 2024

Remarkable fifties from skipper Ayush Badoni and Priyansh Arya led the South Delhi Superstarz to a three-wicket victory over Purani Dilli 6 in the opening match of the inaugural edition of the Delhi Premier League T20.

Arpit Rana’s 59 off 41 and Vansh Bedi’s 47 off 19 helped Purani Dilli 6 put up 197/3 in 20 overs, before South Delhi Superstarz chased down the target in 19.1 overs.

South Delhi Superstarz began their run chase of 198 runs at a blistering pace. They smashed as many as 73 runs in the Powerplay, thanks to the free-flowing strokes from opener Priyansh Arya and Sarthak Ray.

Ray, who hammered 41 off 26 balls, was caught and bowled by Shivam Sharma in the seventh over, while Arya reached his fifty off 27 balls in the 12th over. In the same over, skipper Ayush Badoni, who had started his innings cautiously, struck four consecutive sixes off Ankit Bhadana, taking the team’s total to 140/1.

Arya was caught by Arpit Rana off Sharma in the following over after scoring 57 runs off 30 balls, including three fours and four sixes. Dhruv Singh (1 off 2) then fell cheaply to Prince Yadav, while Badoni reached his half-century off 25 balls in the 14th over, reducing the equation to 38 runs needed off 36 balls.

However, the momentum shifted dramatically as Purani Dilli 6 claimed four wickets in quick succession. Badoni (57 off 29) and Tejasvi (0 off 1) were dismissed in the 15th over, Kunwar Bidhuri (5 off 7) in the 17th over, and Sumit Mathur (9 off 10) fell in the 18th over, leaving South Delhi needing 13 runs off the last two overs.

Vision Panchal and Digvesh Rathi then displayed some resilience as they chased down the target with five balls to spare.

Earlier in the contest, Purani Dilli 6 were invited to bat first and faced an early setback when Manjeet (13 off 8) was dismissed in the third over. Divij Mehra provided the breakthrough for the South Delhi Superstarz, with Kunwar Bidhuri taking a sharp diving catch near short third man. Despite an early setback, Arpit Rana and star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant took control of the innings as they guided Purani Dilli 6 to 58/1 by the end of the powerplay.

Rana batted fluently and reached his fifty off 37 balls in the 11th over, while Pant played a supporting role. The duo brought up the team’s 100-run mark in the 13th over. However, Rana (59 off 41) was dismissed in the same over of Badoni. Pant followed soon after, dismissed by Kunwar Bidhuri in the 15th over after scoring 35 runs off 32 balls.

With Purani Dilli 6 at 129/3 after 15 overs, Vansh Bedi and Lalit Yadav upped the tempo as they struck a flurry of boundaries in the death overs, adding as many as 79 runs in 34 balls. Bedi’s quickfire 47* off 19 balls and Yadav’s 34* off 21 powered Purani Dilli 6 to an impressive total of 197/3 in their allotted 20 overs.