Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has thrown his weight behind wicketkeeper-batter and LSG captain Rishabh Pant, who was recently under fire for using the 'F' word during the post-match interview. Notably, after LSG's crushing seven-wicket defeat against RR on May 20, Pant, defending his team during the interview, had used, "We're a f***** good team." Pant's comment quickly became a talking point, garnering him a mountain of pushback, but Gavaskar feels that the losing captain should be given some time to settle down before being invited for the interview. 

LSG, defending a total of 220, were overpowered by RR, overhauling the target in 19.1 overs after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel blazed 93 and 53*, respectively.

“Rishabh Pant dropping the ‘F’ word in his post-game interview does make one wonder whether it is necessary to interview the captain whose team has just lost the game barely minutes earlier. If it’s been a last-over finish, then the disappointment for the captain would be even greater and if he is also the wicketkeeper who has been running up and down to the stumps every other delivery and that too in this heat, then it can add to his frustration,” Gavaskar wrote in mid-day.

“It might be a better idea to speak to the ‘player of the match’ from the winning team and give the captain of the losing team a little time to splash some water on his face and regain his composure and then come over for an interview. As it is, there will be a bit of time for the presentation party to be ready, so giving the captain of the team that has lost, a few more minutes could well ensure that such things won’t happen.”

Gavaskar, further backing Pant, said he is a very upbeat guy.

“Rishabh Pant is one of the most cheerful guys in the game who loves playing the sport in his own unique way. And the fact that even he lost it does make the case for the losing team’s captain to be given a few more minutes to recover his thoughts rather than have the mic shoved in his face even before he has had time to get his breath back. Is that too much to ask?” Gavaskar wrote.

Looking at LSG's campaign, they endured an incredibly frustrating campaign, enduring a series of defeats and finishing at the bottom of the points table with four wins in 14 matches.