From rock bottom to backflips: Pant’s viral celebration adds spark to IPL exit

Dubai: From struggling for runs to stealing the show, Rishabh Pant’s final act of IPL 2025 had everything — a century, a viral celebration, and even a touch of Bollywood drama.

After a season where little went right, the Lucknow Super Giants batter finally came good with an unbeaten 118 off just 61 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The knock wasn’t just a personal redemption—it turned heads across the stadium, including one very familiar face in the crowd: Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, wife of Virat Kohli.

Pant had entered Season 18 as the costliest buy of the auction, picked up by Lucknow for a record ₹270 million. But across 13 matches, he managed just 151 runs, raising questions about both form and future. The 27-year-old left-hander then received a morale-boosting call-up as India’s new Test vice-captain under Shubman Gill — and on Sunday night, he looked every bit like the man ready for a second wind.

While Anushka’s reaction to Pant’s knock appeared muted, cameras caught her visibly cheering once Bengaluru successfully chased down the mammoth target of 228. But before that twist, Pant had already made his mark — not just with the bat, but with a celebration that left fans in splits. After reaching his hundred, the wicketkeeper-batter executed a surprise somersault.

Lucknow players' quirky celebrations

“Special centurion with a special celebration,” IPL tweeted, as the clip of Pant flipping through the air quickly went viral.

Pant’s backflip wasn’t the only quirky moment from the LSG dugout this season. Leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi got into trouble multiple times with his animated send-offs, eventually copping a one-match ban. Teammate Akash Singh mimicked Rathi’s antics after dismissing Jos Buttler in another match, keeping the team’s reputation for colourful celebrations alive.

Despite Pant’s fireworks, RCB spoiled the party by chasing down the stiff target and clinching a spot in Qualifier 1 in Chandigarh. The Delhi southpaw, however, chose to focus on the positives.

“Eventually, you’ve got to play 40 overs of good cricket. Twenty overs aren’t going to save you,” Pant told official broadcasters. “I was feeling well with each and every match. But sometimes it just doesn’t come off. Whenever you get a start, try to make it as big as possible.”

With India’s five-Test tour of England starting June 20, Pant plans to recharge before taking on his next challenge.

“I just want to switch off for a few days,” he added. And after flipping the narrative in style, he’s certainly earned the break.