Shubman Gill, Gautam Gambhir ruthlessly target Rishabh Pant despite twin tons after loss in Leeds Test

Star India National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant surprisingly didn't receive enough appreciation from his skipper Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir after heroics in the Leeds Test.

Rishabh Pant was the top performer for Team India in the Test series opener against England at Headingley in Leeds, but unfortunately, he ended up on the losing side.

Rishabh Pant hits historic twin tons

The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, who is also the Test vice-captain, took the responsibility to steer his team to a huge score in both innings by playing brilliant knocks.

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He batted with a positive intent in the match and gave a tough time to the bowling unit of the England National Cricket Team. Pant smashed the bowlers all over the park by batting in his classic unorthodox fashion.

In the first innings, he returned with the score of 134 runs off 178 balls, including 12 fours and 6 sixes, and in the second innings, he amassed 118 runs off 140 balls, with 15 fours and 3 sixes.

As Pant hit twin tons in the Headingley Test, he became only the second wicketkeeper-batsman in history to achieve this feat in a Test match after Andy Flower. Also, he became the fifth Asian batter to score two tons in a SENA Test and the first Indian batter to achieve this feat in England.

Shubman Gill highlights Rishabh Pant's keeping blunder

In an interaction with Michael Atherton after the match, Shubman Gill was asked about spinner Ravindra Jadeja's bowling on Day 5, and the Indian skipper took a moment to take a sly dig at Rishabh Pant.

Shubman Gill said that the spinner did a brilliant job with the ball and produced some wicket-taking opportunities, but Pant spilled a few chances behind the stumps. He stated:

"He bowled brilliantly, I think he did produce some chances for us, a few pop-ups that Rishabh (Pant) didn't take.

"But that happens in any game of cricket, you kind of expect there would be some chances that wouldn't go your way.

Gautam Gambhir downplays Pant's heroics

Meanwhile, speaking to the media after the match, India head coach Gautam Gambhir seemingly downplayed Pant's heroics during a heated chat with a journalist.

When the journalist asked Gautam Gambhir to reflect on Rishabh Pant's heroics as a big positive from the first Test, he interrupted and highlighted that three more players hit tons.

"Talking about a bit of positive. How was it to witness that knock around Rishabh Pant and of course being the vice captain, being one of the leaders in this group, how he has taken that responsibility, that role?" the journalist asked the India head coach.

"There are three more centuries as well. Those are big positives as well. I would have liked it if you had said that hundred from Yashasvi [Jaiswal], a hundred from Shubman [Gill] on debut as captain, a hundred from KL [Rahul] and two centuries from Rishabh. So five centuries in a Test match is a great start to be honest. And hopefully your question could have been better," Gambhir responded fiercely.

"But then again, there are great positives. We had a five [wickets] from Jasprit Bumrah [in the first innings] as well," he further said.

Also Read: ICC announces Rishabh Pant as India’s greatest wicketkeeper-batsman of all time in Tests

First Captain Gill calls out only Pant for dropped chances. Now Coach Gambhir has no praise for someone who scored 250+ and kept for 183 overs. Funny how others efforts are praised, but only Rishabh’s mistakes are highlighted pic.twitter.com/B7hC6RaSLU

— Sandy (@flamboypant) June 25, 2025