Sunil Gavaskar has pushed back against the criticism aimed at Rishabh Pant after the LSG captain’s profanity-laced outburst on live television. The former India captain believes the broadcaster setup—not Pant’s temperament—should be blamed, arguing that it is unrealistic to expect a skipper to switch instantly from the heat of a defeat to a polished post-match interview. Gavaskar’s comments came after Pant, following Lucknow Super Giants’ exit from the 2026 Indian Premier League, let loose an “F” word on-air, stating, “We’re a f****** good team,” during an on-the-spot reaction after the team were knocked out.
While Ian Bishop moved quickly to apologise, the remark still triggered a wave of public responses. Gavaskar, however, said captains can lose emotional control when they are asked to speak only moments after a painful loss. In a tournament like the IPL—where momentum swings fast and the margin for error is razor-thin—he argued that frustration can easily take over, even for the person leading the side.
Gavaskar wrote in mid-day: “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. 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.”
He went on to suggest a different approach for broadcasters—one that allows the losing captain a brief window to reset before stepping in front of the cameras. “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.”
At the same time, Gavaskar acknowledged that Pant’s outburst raised a wider question. Known for his cheerful nature, Pant has often appeared far more intense in IPL matches, and that temperament has been even more noticeable since he was picked up by Sanjiv Goenka’s Lucknow Super Giants at the 2024 mega auctions. Gavaskar compared the IPL practice with international cricket, where the losing captain typically shares thoughts during the presentation ceremony after a break of around 10 to 15 minutes—time enough, he implied, to process what has just happened.
With the stakes so high in the league, Gavaskar believes the media interaction should not be rushed. He argued that forcing a microphone in front of a captain immediately after defeat doesn’t always allow the mind to catch up with the body. “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.”
Gavaskar then summed up his stance with a simple challenge: “Is that too much to ask?”
