NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant rediscovered his touch in sensational fashion, smashing a scintillating unbeaten century, while Mitchell Marsh continued his purple patch to power Lucknow Super Giants to a commanding 227 for 3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL 2025 clash on Tuesday.Pant’s explosive 118* off 61 balls (11×4, 8×6) — his first IPL hundred in seven years — was the cornerstone of LSG’s innings, as he and Marsh (67 off 37) stitched together a game-changing 152-run stand for the second wicket. On a batting-friendly pitch, RCB’s erratic bowling only made matters worse for the visitors.Heading into the match, Pant had been under scrutiny for his patchy form — striking at just 107 this season. As LSG’s captain and wicketkeeper, his prolonged struggles had significantly dented the team’s campaign.But on this night, the script flipped.Pant found his timing and rhythm with calculated aggression, striking at nearly 200. Once he abandoned the urge to over-hit, the timing naturally returned — and so did the runs.Interestingly, his standout performance came in the absence of franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka, who wasn’t at the stadium to witness the carnage. But Goenka was quick to respond on social media, hailing the innings with a succinct post: “‘Pant’astic!”The southpaw’s assault began early. In the fourth over, he took Yash Dayal apart for 18 runs, including a six and back-to-back fours. That burst of intent set the tone, and his confidence rubbed off on Marsh.The Australian all-rounder started cautiously — just 19 off his first 16 deliveries — but then shifted gears with a pulled six off Romario Shepherd. From there, the man known as ‘Bison’ was unstoppable. He brought up his half-century in 31 balls with a six off Suyash Sharma, taking his season tally past 600 runs — his best-ever IPL showing.
Pant too notched up his second fifty of the season in 29 balls, dispatching Suyash for two consecutive boundaries.Marsh eventually perished for 67, edging Bhuvneshwar Kumar to wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma — RCB’s stand-in captain for the night as Rajat Patidar remained listed as an Impact Substitute.But Pant remained unflinching.
He surged to his century in 54 balls, reaching the milestone with an audacious lofted four over extra cover — a vintage Pant stroke. The celebration was equally electrifying: a beaming smile followed by a trademark backflip.It was a knock that blended flair with maturity. While Pant largely stuck to classical strokes throughout his innings, the century-clinching shot was a reminder of his flamboyant best.He later added a quick 49-run partnership with Nicholas Pooran to cap off LSG’s innings on a high.Though fans may lament the timing of Pant’s return to form, with the league stage nearly complete, the knock brings hope — for LSG’s playoff ambitions and for Pant’s continued resurgence.
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