Ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League, ace batsman and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant recently imitated Sunil Gavaskar’s well-known “Stupid, Stupid, Stupid” tirade. When Pant attempted to mimic the renowned cricketer’s speech, the video swiftly gained widespread attention.
The initial incident happened at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the Boxing Day Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25. Despite Australian pacer Scott Boland being positioned in the deep on Day 3, Pant tried his famous scoop shot. A vital 32-run partnership between Nathan Lyon and Ravindra Jadeja was broken when the shot produced a leading edge that made it easy for Lyon to catch at third man.
In the fourth innings, the southpaw made the same error, playing a needless pull shot off part-time bowler Travis Head that led to a collapse. India suffered a heartbreaking loss after losing seven wickets in a single session, even though they were in a position to draw the Test. Pant’s shot selection was deemed “stupid” by Sunil Gavaskar, who was commentating at the time, who also criticized his strategy.
“Impetuous, foolish, foolish! You still aim for that even though there are two fielders there. Look where you’ve been caught—you missed the last shot. That’s a waste of your wicket. You can’t claim to be naturally good at that. I apologize. You’re not naturally good at that. This shot is dumb. Your team is being severely let down by this. “You must also comprehend the circumstances,” Sunil Gavaskar stated while providing analysis on ABC Sport.
During an advertisement shot, Pant imitated the phrases of the famed batter. He repeated the tirade on the video before giggling at his own attempt.
Rishabh Pant Instagram Story 😂❤️
-Stupid Stupid Stupid pic.twitter.com/pGR3Pw42fn
— RP17 Gang™ (@RP17Gang) March 17, 2025
Our goal is to establish an area where individuals may come and express themselves: Rishabh Pant
Notably, Pant rose to become the most costly player in IPL history. He was purchased by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for an incredible INR 27 crore. The exorbitant bid prevented his old team, the Delhi Capitals (DC), from keeping him. Pant was heard speaking to his teammates in a recent video that LSG shared, stressing the value of fostering team togetherness.
“I think the gang has a lot of experience. We have many experienced players, therefore I believe the management has a lot of expertise. Continue to share your experience with the younger men, and allow the younger group to benefit from it. Our goal is to establish an area where individuals can come and express themselves. Since it takes a lot of work from each and every person, it is easier said than done. It goes beyond management alone. I believe the players are to blame. We are able to establish that atmosphere. Pant told his LSG teammates, “I’ve always believed that players can perform at any level if you support them and give them enough trust.”
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