IPL 2026 | Rishabh Pant drops the F-word on Live TV after defeat to RR

After an already awkward moment at toss with commentator Ian Bishop, Rishabh Pant made things worse in the post-match presentation on live television as he dropped the 'F' word following Lucknow Super Giants' defeat to Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Tuesday.

RR chased down the target of 221 with five balls to spare as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi launched a stunning attack with 93 runs off 38 balls on his way to reclaim the Orange Cap.

This was LSG's ninth defeat of the season and with just eight points and one game to go, the Rishabh Pant-led franchise is staring at a bottom finish. However, 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.”

Pant using the "F" word went viral on social media while Pant largely defended both his tactics and the team. Bishop immediately interfered and apologised on the broadcast for the inappropriate language used during the live interview.

The comment ended the long post-match interview, where Pant said his team could have added a few more runs to the total. His team had a commanding start with Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis hammering boundaries in the powerplay. However, 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,” he said.

The the wicketkeeper-batter also spoke about the challenges of managing bowlers on flatter pitches.

“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.”

Pant added that they missed an experienced campaigner like Mohammed Shami, who missed the game, in crucial 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.”

The 28year-old also provided the rational to why why Shahbaz Ahmed was held back for most of the innings.

“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.