Rishabh Pant’s season of IPL 2025 finished on an emotional roller coaster—edge-of-the-seat individual brilliance, heartbreaking team loss, and a healthy fine by the BCCI. In a star-studded final league match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Pant scored his season’s best innings—a record 118 not out off 61 balls. But the innings, as charged as it was, could not prevent LSG from a defeat. Worse still, the match ended with Pant being docked ₹30 lakh for maintaining a slow over rate—his third such offense this season.
Pant’s Finest Hour with the Bat
It was a must-win game for both sides, with RCB eyeing a top-two finish and LSG desperately trying to keep playoff hopes alive. Batting first at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, LSG got off to a wobbly start when opener Matthew Breetzke was bowled for 14 by Nuwan Thushara in the third over.
This opened the door for Rishabh Pant, who walked in at No. 3—a spot usually reserved for Nicholas Pooran—and quickly set the tone. The LSG skipper looked in sublime touch, reaching his half-century in just 29 balls. In what became a power-packed partnership, Pant and Mitchell Marsh stitched together a remarkable 152-run stand in only 78 deliveries. Marsh, with his dream campaign, added 67 runs, while Pant battered the bowling of RCB with 11 fours and 8 sixes.
When Pant raised his bat upon his century, he was overjoyed in celebration, performing an iconic cartwheel that left the public agog. His show propelled LSG to a comprehensive 227/3—a commanding score in any T20 setting.
RCB Script Historic Chase
But even Pant’s heroics were not enough to turn RCB’s aggressive pursuit around. With a Qualifier 1 spot at stake—and an Eliminator against Mumbai Indians around the corner—RCB turned up with intent.
Virat Kohli remained steady with a gritty 54, but Jitesh Sharma was left to do the fireworks, whose unbeaten 85 off 33 balls steered the match their way. Sharma’s knock, full of bold strokeplay, broke the back of LSG’s bowling attack. RCB chased down the target in 18.4 overs with six wickets still in hand—a feat not only guaranteeing that they finished in the top two but also making them the first team in IPL history to win all their away games in a season.
With the win, RCB will now face Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 on May 29 at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. Gujarat Titans, who slipped to third, are set to take on Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator on May 30. The loser of Qualifier 1 will get another shot at making the final, facing the Eliminator winner on June 1 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
BCCI Cracks Down: ₹30 Lakh Fine for Pant, Team Penalized
While the night was personally satisfying for Pant, it ended on a bitter note. On Wednesday morning, the BCCI announced that Pant had been fined ₹30 lakh for maintaining a slow over rate during Match No. 70. This marked LSG’s third over-rate offense this season, which triggered the harsher penalty under IPL’s Code of Conduct.
“Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match No. 70 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB),” read the official BCCI release.
The standard fine for a first over-rate offense is ₹12 lakh for the captain, but repeated violations escalate the punishment. Since this was LSG’s third offense, Pant faced a ₹30 lakh deduction. In addition, the rest of the LSG playing XI, including the Impact Player, were each fined either ₹12 lakh or 50% of their match fee, whichever was lower.
A Bittersweet End to a Troubled Season
For Pant, the last game was a reflection on his season—moments of brilliance wasted by larger team problems and lapses in discipline. Even as his 118* was arguably one of the finest innings of IPL 2025, it was overshadowed ultimately by the loss and the disciplinary issue.
Despite the setbacks, Pant’s return to form is a great morale booster for LSG and Indian cricket. Having lost his rhythm early in the season, his aggressive innings will be a reminder of what he is capable of on the largest stage.
As IPL 2025 reaches its knockout stages, LSG will rue lost opportunities—out in the middle and in game management. For Pant, this bittersweet note may just be the wake-up call he needs to come back even stronger and wiser next time.
