Rishabh Pant’s post-match interview after Lucknow Super Giants’ defeat to Rajasthan Royals turned awkward on live television after the LSG captain used the ‘F’ word while defending his side’s season.
Pant was speaking to Ian Bishop after LSG failed to defend 220 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Rajasthan Royals chased down the target with five balls remaining, riding on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s explosive 93 off 38 balls and Dhruv Jurel’s unbeaten 53. The defeat added another painful chapter to LSG’s difficult IPL 2026 campaign, but Pant refused to write off the quality of his side.
“We are proud of the team, regardless of how the situation is. Regardless of the table, we are confident of the team,” Pant said after the match. “It hasn’t gone our way, and everyone knows that. But that doesn’t take away the fact that we are a f***ing good team.”
The remark immediately forced Bishop to step in and apologise on the broadcast for the language used during the live interview.
Pant admits LSG left runs behind after strong start
The comment came at the end of a long post-match explanation from Pant, who felt LSG could have added more to their total despite crossing 220. Lucknow had received a strong platform from Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis, but Pant admitted the finish was not ideal.
“I think there are a few ways to look at it. In the middle overs and then in the last over, the way Archer bowled, I think it was really good,” Pant said. “But we could have actually scored five or ten runs more on this kind of wicket when you get that kind of start, and we just couldn’t capitalise in the last over.”
Rishabh Pant also spoke about the challenge of managing bowling plans on a surface with a small margin for error. Rajasthan’s chase gathered pace early through Sooryavanshi, and LSG struggled to regain control despite having a large total on the board.
“It’s definitely a difficult one, because you always want to back your bowlers, but sometimes it’s hard,” Pant said. “On a wicket like this, there is less margin for the bowlers and having too many suggestions doesn’t work out. Sometimes you have to keep it simple: focus on one ball at a time and just execute the plan.”
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Pant was also asked whether LSG missed Mohammed Shami, who was not part of the game. The LSG captain said experience becomes crucial in pressure situations.
“You know, experience is something you’re always going to miss, regardless of whether things go good or bad, because experience can’t be earned overnight,” Pant said. “It takes years for people to gain that experience, and in high-pressure situations, that is definitely one thing that keeps you ahead.”
Pant also explained why Shahbaz Ahmed was held back for most of the innings, saying the left-handers in Rajasthan’s line-up made the match-up risky.
“Definitely because of the left-handers. They had been batting for a brief period of time and exposing a left-arm spinner, we didn’t want that, especially because Rathi was there in the side, so why take a chance on Shahbaz when Rathi is there in the side,” he said.
LSG’s defeat left Pant defending both the tactics and the dressing room. The swear-word moment became the viral flashpoint, but the larger story was just as uncomfortable for Lucknow: a 220-plus total, a missed finishing kick, Shami’s absence, and another night where their captain had to explain why a talented side keeps losing control of matches.