"Maybe he would have responded stupid, stupid, stupid question" - Sunil Gavaskar's hilarious take on Rishabh Pant ahead of LSG vs PBKS IPL 2025 match

Former India batter Sunil Gavaskar has said that Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant may have used the former's "stupid, stupid, stupid!" expression on him, had he questioned LSG's tactic of looking to score big and give cushion to their bowlers.

The 75-year-old felt that the presence of batters like Nicolas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh made them an exciting team to watch.

"I wish you had asked me this question a little while earlier because I spent a little time with Rishabh Pant, and I would have certainly asked him if that was the reason why you guys are playing like that. Maybe he would have responded, stupid, stupid, stupid question.

"I think when you look at Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh, they're naturally aggressive players. I think that's the way they play and that's so exciting to watch. And then there's Rishabh Pant also coming down the order. So they really have the batting, and they obviously know that. Look, if they don't have your sharp-edge bowlers, then you certainly need to put more runs on the board to give your other bowlers that much of a cushion in case they don't have a good day," Gavaskar said on JioHotstar, ahead of LSG's match against PBKS.

Sunil Gavaskar's comments on Rishabh Pant's shot selection goes viral

During the second Test of the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy in December 2024, Rishabh Pant was dismissed playing an unorthodox shot, with India trying to get themselves out of a difficult position in the Test match. Commentating on the game, Gavaskar was left fuming at the manner of his dismissal and exclaimed the words "stupid" three times to express his displeasure.

"Stupid, Stupid, STUPID! You've got two fielders there, and you still go for that. You missed the previous shot, and look where you've been caught. That is throwing away your wicket. You cannot say that is your natural game. I'm sorry," Gavaskar had said.

A few days before the start of IPL 2025, Pant had recreated Gavaskar's famous commentary moment in an ad.

At the time of writing, PBKS had raced to 100 for 1 in nine overs, in pursuit of 172 for victory. Pant was dismissed for two runs off five balls. Nicolas Pooran top scored for LSG with a 30-ball 44.

Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the PBKS bowlers, taking three for 43 in his four overs.