Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has come to the defence of Rishabh Pant after the Lucknow Super Giants skipper faced heavy criticism for an unscripted comment during a post-match interview. Both Pant and the Lucknow franchise had a tough time throughout IPL 2026, with the team finishing last in the league standings. Pant\u2019s own batting returns were similarly underwhelming, as he managed 312 runs across 14 matches.<\/p>\n
Even with the season\u2019s struggles, it was Pant\u2019s remark following LSG\u2019s defeat against the Rajasthan Royals that drew the loudest reaction. After the loss, Pant appeared in the on-field interview slot and, on live television, said, \u201cWe\u2019re a f***** good team.\u201d The blunt line quickly became the talking point online and among sections of the cricket audience.<\/p>\n
As the debate intensified around Pant\u2019s behaviour, Gavaskar argued that the responsibility should not rest solely on the captain. He suggested that the broadcast setup may have contributed to the situation by not allowing the losing skipper sufficient time after the match before bringing him in for comments.<\/p>\n
Gavaskar wrote in mid-day<\/em>, explaining that the timing of such interviews can be especially problematic. He questioned whether it is truly necessary to interview a captain only minutes after a defeat, particularly when the game has ended moments earlier. He added that the workload for a wicketkeeper-capable captain is intense, with constant movement behind the stumps, and that the added pressure can intensify frustration in the immediate aftermath of a loss.<\/p>\n He also felt it would make more sense to hear from the match winner from the victorious side first, before turning to the captain of the team that has just lost. Gavaskar argued that giving the defeated leader a short window to regain composure\u2014such as splashing water and settling down\u2014would reduce the chances of emotional outbursts on camera. He pointed out that there would still be ample time for the presentation process to be completed, meaning a few extra minutes for the losing captain would be practical.<\/p>\n Gavaskar further noted that these kinds of hurried procedures can trigger reactions driven by emotion. He emphasised that Pant, beyond the controversy, is generally a cheerful presence in the game, and that the microphone being thrust in front of him before he has fully recovered his breath and thoughts is what makes the moment worse.<\/p>\n He concluded by stating that Rishabh Pant is \u201cone of the most cheerful guys in the game,\u201d known for playing with a distinct style. Gavaskar added that since even Pant lost his composure in that instance, it strengthens the case for extending a little more time to the captain of the losing team before conducting interviews\u2014asking, in effect, whether that expectation is too much.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has come to the defence of Rishabh Pant after the Lucknow Super Giants skipper faced heavy criticism for an unscripted…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":12186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Gavaskar Defends Rishabh Pant After Interview Flap","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Sunil Gavaskar backs Rishabh Pant amid IPL 2026 interview backlash, questioning the league\u2019s role as Lucknow end bottom and Pant\u2019s form falters.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n