3 instances of Rishabh Pant pleading with his captain to take DRS that left us in splits

The hilarious tryst between Rishabh Pant and the DRS (Picture Credits: Screengrab via Twitter/ cricket.com.au; Sony Sports Network).
The hilarious tryst between Rishabh Pant and the DRS (Picture Credits: Screengrab via Twitter/ cricket.com.au; Sony Sports Network).

Rishabh Pant and the Decision Review System (DRS) have had quite an amusing relationship. Being the wicketkeeper, he has a big say in convincing his captain for or against a review, given that he generally gets the best view of the delivery from behind the stumps.

Quite often, he has found himself in the eye of the storm simply owing to how thankless the job is. While a few contentious decisions have often earned him flak, it is an area he has focused on improving over time. He has the results to show for the same too, mind you!

Two aspects of his DRS game have always stood out - his confidence and the amusing nature surrounding a decision. Innumerable instances of the Delhi lad pleading with his captain for or against a review have left fans in splits over time.

Eyeballs are firmly fixed on Pant every time he's on the park.
Eyeballs are firmly fixed on Pant every time he's on the park.

We look at three such humourous instances featuring the curious case of Pant and a review call.


#3 Pant's instincts pay off at Trent Bridge

The first Test between England and India at Trent Bridge saw the visitors get off to a flyer with Jasprit Bumrah prizing out Rory Burns in the opening over. Just as Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley stabilized the innings, a comical moment ensued.

A failed DRS sent the internet into a frenzy, as UltraEdge vindicated the on-field decision against a caught behind appeal. A couple of deliveries later, a similar noise was heard but this time, Pant egged skipper Virat Kohli into sending it upstairs again.

A rather amused Kohli gave in and the visitors were vindicated as well. The keeper animatedly persuaded his skipper and his neon shades combined to leave quite a few fans in splits.


#2 Fails to convince Kohli against a DRS

Turntables this time around. In the aforementioned series against England, the second Test at Lord's was one of the more tightly-contested fixtures.

The visitors had already burned down a review during their bowling essay when an animated Mohammed Siraj was extremely confident of an lbw appeal. Pant, though, knew that it wasn't going to hit the stumps and begged Kohli with conviction to not give in to the moment.

The captain was caught between a rock and a hard place though and decided to fulfill his bowler's wish with a sheepish grin, leaving the wicketkeeper annoyed. As it turned out, the latter was vindicated as India lost another review early in their innings.

This remains one of the more comical moments featuring the audacious keeper-batter and the DRS, leaving fans mixed with laughter and agony over the lost review.


#1 Nearly flings the ball at The Gabba

Yes, it is that very Gabba Test from last year. Pant emerged as a cult hero owing to his belligerent innings steering India to a historic series win. Well before that moment, however, was a hilarious instance on the field.

Debutant T Natarajan got one to fizz past Tim Paine's outside edge towards the fag end of the opening day. After collecting the ball, the Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper appealed, having heard something that just about nobody else did.

Ajinkya Rahane, who was India's captain for the game, was stationed at gully and despite all of the southpaw's efforts in coaxing him into a DRS appeal, the former was having none of it. The visibly frustrated keeper nearly chucked the ball in angst before Rohit Sharma took the mickey out of him at first slip.

He's quite the animated character, isn't he?


Is Rishabh Pant the most entertaining cricketer on the planet today? Let us know what you think in the comments section!


Also read: 3 qualities of Rishabh Pant that make him a future Indian captain

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