Anushka Sharma and Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant lit up the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium in Lucknow with a breathtaking century that sent shockwaves through the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) camp—and sparked a viral moment featuring Bollywood star Anushka Sharma. In what was the final league game of IPL 2025, Pant produced a stellar comeback, hammering a 54-ball century against RCB to guide Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to a massive total of 227-3.
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It was his second century in the IPL, coming seven years after his iconic 128* against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018. Remarkably, this was also the fastest-ever hundred by an LSG batter. Before this match, Pant was enduring a dismal season—just 151 runs across the campaign with an average of 13.73 and a strike rate of 107.09. But with RCB fighting for a top-two finish, Pant found his rhythm at the worst possible time for them, sharing a 152-run stand with Mitchell Marsh (67 off 37 balls) after LSG were asked to bat first.
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As Pant launched into his late-innings assault, cameras caught Anushka Sharma in the stands, and her reaction to the carnage quickly went viral on social media. Fans flooded platforms with clips and memes, highlighting the irony of the moment—Pant, a key India player, regaining form against her husband Virat Kohli’s team in a must-win game.
RCB now face a daunting chase to keep their hopes of a top-two finish alive. A win will secure them a Qualifier 1 spot against Punjab Kings, offering a double chance at reaching the IPL final. But with Pant back in form and LSG posting a mammoth total, that task is now steep.
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