On Day 4 of the first Test match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Headingley, Rishabh Pant once again became the center of attention—this time not just for his batting but also for a fun moment with Sunil Gavaskar.
Read more: IND vs ENG: Gautam Gambhir Criticized After Rishabh Pant’s Unusual Dismissal
Pant scored an amazing 118 runs in the second innings, after already hitting 134 in the first, making him the first wicketkeeper-batsman to score centuries in both innings of a Test match. He’s also the first Indian to do this in England.
After his first century, Pant celebrated with a somersault, which quickly went viral. But when he scored his second century, he chose not to repeat the flip.
Sunil Gavaskar, sitting in the stands, was seen gesturing to Pant to do the somersault again. Pant smiled and politely responded, “some other time.” This fun exchange made fans smile and highlighted the friendly bond between the two.
Earlier in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Gavaskar had sharply criticized Pant for a poor shot, calling it “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.” But now, after this match, he praised Pant’s innings as “Superb. Superb. Superb.”
Sunny ji Asking Rishabh pant for sommersault celebration 🥹🤍 pic.twitter.com/ZHak9eR7La
— U’ (@18toxify) June 23, 2025
Pant came in to bat after captain Shubman Gill was dismissed in the first over. At first, Pant played carefully, scoring 31 runs off 59 balls before lunch, then slowly increased his aggression, especially attacking spinner Shoaib Bashir. He reached his century in 130 balls and was finally dismissed by Joe Root.
Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta praised Pant’s smart batting, saying it reminded him of Cheteshwar Pujara’s calm and focused style. He explained how Pant adjusted his game to the situation—starting aggressively, then switching to full defense when needed.
“Pant used to be known for reckless shots early in his career, but now he’s showing maturity. He avoided risky shots and showed he can play patiently too,” Deep said during the Jio Hotstar coverage.
This match showed two sides of Pant—his fearless shot-making and his calm, thoughtful defense—proving once again why he’s one of India’s most exciting players.
