After his delay tactic in the T20 World Cup final, Rishabh Pant sparks another controversy with an on-field ‘injury break’ that some fans claim disrupted KKR’s momentum.
April 9, 2025: Rishabh Pant is once again at the center of an on-field controversy—this time in the IPL 2025 clash between Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Fans on social media have accused the LSG skipper of “faking an injury” to slow down KKR’s surging momentum during a high-octane chase at Eden Gardens, drawing comparisons to his similar act during the T20 World Cup final last year.
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What happened on the field?
Chasing a mammoth 239, KKR were cruising at 149/2 after 12 overs, thanks to a blazing partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer. LSG bowlers were under pressure and running out of ideas when suddenly, at the start of the 13th over, Pant signaled for the physio, citing back pain.
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The brief pause allowed LSG to regroup—and it worked. In a chaotic 13th over bowled by Shardul Thakur, which included five wides, Rahane was dismissed. The next three overs saw KKR lose three more wickets and their chase unraveled.
“We’ve seen this before” — Fans react
Cricket fans were quick to point out that this was not the first time Pant used an on-field delay as a tactical move. During India’s T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa, Pant had openly admitted to “acting” injured to halt the Proteas’ rhythm just before Klaasen’s crucial dismissal.
“Bhaiya, mast acting kar raha tha (I was acting all this while),” Pant had told Rohit Sharma then, as revealed later on Star Sports.
-Promoting Samad and Miller over himself.
— Dhruv (@I_m_dhruv_) April 8, 2025
-Going for review when he wasted one in the last ball.
-Injury break 2.0 for slowing the momentum.
-Managing with zero overseas bowler.
Rishabh Pant the captain was top notch in this game. pic.twitter.com/H7KM5mZJDG
KKR lost today's match because of an unsportive mischief of Rishabh Pant. KKR was going strong untill Pant's pretension of injury lying down on the ground. Then batters lost stance. Once Rohit Sharma said the same tactics was adopted by Pant against a foreign country.
— Sahadev Mohanty (@SahadevMohanty) April 8, 2025
Rishabh Pant is so good at the art of slowing the game down with an injury !! We’ve seen that before 😄#KKRvsLSG #KKRvLSG pic.twitter.com/4fEPM14CuX
— Cricketism (@MidnightMusinng) April 8, 2025
🏏 Rishabh Pant’s Master Plan Unveiled Today same as CT2025! 😜
— CRICKET 18 LOVER (@Cricket_18_love) April 8, 2025
🏃♂️ Step 1: Spot the opponent’s momentum—South Africa cruising at 26 needed off 24!
🛑 Step 2: Call for a "quick" injury break—151/4 for India? Time to chill! 🥱
🤹♂️ Step 3: Break their rhythm, flip the game,… pic.twitter.com/Yv8Tgq0rOS
The similarities in timing and outcome weren’t lost on fans, who flooded social media with memes and posts suggesting this was a deliberate “World Cup-like masterplan” to dismantle KKR’s momentum.
What did Pant say after the match?
Despite the speculation, Pant addressed the issue at the post-match presentation, saying the injury was genuine and occurred during wicketkeeping.
“The back is fine now,” he assured.
What’s next for LSG?
Following their four-run win over KKR, LSG now sit comfortably with two back-to-back wins. They will next face Gujarat Titans on Saturday, followed by a clash with Chennai Super Kings on Monday—both at home.
Whether the injury was real or tactical gamesmanship, one thing is certain: Pant’s influence on key moments remains unmatched.
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Rishabh Pant, IPL 2025, LSG vs KKR, Rishabh Pant injury, T20 World Cup 2024, Heinrich Klaasen dismissal, Lucknow Super Giants, KKR momentum break, Rishabh Pant tactics, IPL controversy, cricket news, Pant masterplan