Who said what - top 5 expert reactions to Rishabh Pant's superb 118* in LSG vs RCB IPL 2025 match ft. Virender Sehwag

India wicketkeeper-batter and Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant roared back into form with a scintillating 118 not out against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. This knock came in his side's final game of the ongoing Indian Premier League at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday, May 27.

LSG lost the game by a margin of six wickets in the end, thanks to RCB wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma's unbeaten 85 off just 33 deliveries. However, Pant's knock brought the smiles back on many of their supporters' faces. LSG eventually ended the tournament in the seventh spot with 12 points.

Pant was going through a torrid run of form throughout this IPL season, having scored just 151 runs in 12 innings prior to this game. He is expected to carry this newfound confidence to India's upcoming tour of England, where he has been named vice-captain in Tests. Even though it is a completely different format, Pant will be expected to return to his old form.

We take a look at the top five expert reactions to Pant's knock:

#5 Aakash Chopra

Former India opener Aakash Chopra, who plies his trade as a pundit on television and social media these days, took to his YouTube channel to speak about the technique used by Pant to score his runs in this game, especially on the offside.

Chopra mentioned that Pant was transferring his weight towards the ball and working on his batswing, which allowed him to time it well. He also referred to the fact that batting higher up the order may have helped Pant's cause, too.

"Rishabh Pant walked out to bat higher up the order today. And he looked brilliant from ball one. This was his second century in the IPL but one could see how classy he was. Some of the shots he played were truly heartwarming. Especially the ones over the offside, it showed how well his batswing was working in this game and how nicely he was transferring his weight into the ball," said Chopra.

#4 Irfan Pathan

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan was pleased with the way Pant batted in this game against RCB. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan mentioned that he liked the way Pant improved his offside play. He was quick to notice the sixes Pant hit over cover and long off, and also pointed out a boundary he hit over point.

Unfortunately, his knock was not able to take his team over the line, and it came too late, Pathan felt.

"I have to applaud Rishabh Pant, he batted really well today. I saw a lot of things in his batting which just need to be praised. Some of the shots he hit today were extraordinary - he hit a six over covers, one over long off and a boundary over point. I noticed a lot of improvement in his offside play. Unfortunately, his team (LSG) could not win this game," said Pathan.

#3 Manoj Tiwary

Former India and Bengal batter Manoj Tiwary spoke on Cricbuzz about how important Pant's knock had been today, especially since the latter employed proper cricketing shots at the beginning and did not take too many risks.

Tiwary also noted that Pant should have batted higher up the batting order in the initial stages of the tournament, as it would have allowed him to face the new ball inside the powerplay when only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle.

"We saw how well Pant batted today. We knew that he was not going through a good phase, but it completely changed today. When he walked in to bat today, he played proper cricketing shots. And we had always mentioned that he should have walked in to bat up the order to face the bowlers inside the powerplay. Batting inside the powerplay helps any batter as there are only two fielders outside the circle, and well-placed shots are sure to fetch runs," noted Tiwary.

#2 Tom Moody

Former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody, who knows the ins and outs of the IPL fairly well after leading Sunrisers Hyderabad to their maiden title in 2016 as head coach, praised the way Pant hit most deliveries off the middle of his bat.

Moody reiterated the fact that no one ever doubted Pant's class, and that the latter was merely going through poor form. The Australian applauded the flamboyance of Pant's shotmaking and the way he took little time to find his rhythm.

"In this game, we saw the level of class this guy (Rishabh Pant) has. And the way he was going about his business, one would not have thought that he was going through a slump in form at all. He hit a six early and he just got away nicely - he struck the ball from the middle of the bat from ball one. We saw all those flamboyant shots - it was a true delight to watch," Moody said on ESPNCricinfo.

#1 Virender Sehwag

Former India opener Virender Sehwag, a self-avowed lover and proponent of the devil-may-care attitude Pant brings to the crease, was all smiles at the end of the latter's innings and applauded his tenacity on Cricbuzz.

Sehwag highlighted that Pant was going through a bad phase until now, and spoke about what happens when one is in the grips of such a rut. The ex-Delhi and Haryana captain mentioned that no one in India ever doubted Pant's capabilities.

"The entire country knows that Rishabh Pant has the talent and experience to do well - there was never any doubt in that. It was just that he was going through a bad phase. And when you go through a bad phase, nothing works (for you). No matter how well you are playing, if you are going through a bad phase, you will not be able to score runs. It is, however, nice, that he got runs here and regained his confidence, which he will now take to England," said Sehwag.