NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant has never been one to stick to the script, and he proved that once again at Headingley with a celebration as electrifying as his innings. After notching up his seventh Test century in classic Pant style, charging down the track and launching Shoaib Bashir over deep midwicket for a towering six, the India vice-captain stunned fans and teammates alike with a surprise somersault celebration.The move, equal parts flamboyant and athletic, quickly set social media ablaze and became the highlight of Day 2 of the first Test between India and England. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!While Pant’s acrobatics wowed viewers, they also drew amused and admiring reactions from former cricketers and teammates.In a video shared by BCCI, Dinesh Karthik quipped, “Neither could I do the somersault like him, nor can I bat like him. When I was very young, my parents made me try gymnastics, and I was an utter failure. So let’s just leave it there because he’s doing it so much nicer when he celebrates it.”Former head coach Ravi Shastri also praised Pant’s unexpected flair: “At a very young age, he did a lot of gymnastics. He does it really well. I think it was unique. No one expected him to do that. Nothing wrong with it — though if I tried it, I’d probably end up in a swimming pool!”Cheteshwar Pujara, typically reserved, summed it up simply: “Rishabh being Rishabh. He does something unique.”
Pant’s celebration mirrored one he had pulled off during the IPL earlier this year, but seeing it on the Test stage added a new level of surprise. His innings — a blistering 134 off 178 balls with 12 fours and six sixes — came at a crucial time, forging a vital partnership with Shubman Gill (147) to push India beyond the 400-run mark.As fans marvelled at the shot-making, it was the flip that stole the spotlight — a moment that perfectly encapsulated Pant’s spirit: fearless, fun, and fiercely unforgettable.
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