Rishabh Pant Scared Of Virat Kohli? LSG Captain Sparks Controversy

India’s wicket-keeper batter, Rishabh Pant, has dropped a bombshell by revealing that he is always scared of Virat Kohli when it comes to working out in the gym. Pant will lead the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Rishabh Pant joined the Super Giants’ camp to stat practice for the new season with a new franchise, as he became the highest paid player of the league for a price of INR 27 crore during the mega auction of the tournament.

Rishabh Pant reveals the reason for being scared of Virat Kohli

When it comes to setting high benchmarks for fitness, Kohli always comes at the top, and once he became the leader of the Indian team, he channeled the good work to all the other members of the side, which mostly helped the bowlers in the longest format to bowl long spell with the same intensity and energy.

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Pant cracked that whenever he would go to the gym with Virat Kohli. He would be a bit scared because the Delhi-born would start a competition between them. And Rishabh will have no interest in competing with the best in the department.

“There is so much pressure with Virat Kohli bhai. Whenever you go to the gym with him, there is so much pressure on you. It's because he gets to an extremely competitive zone in every aspect when you go to the gym. So there is a slight fear in him. But Virat bhai is different; who would think of competing?” Rishabh Pant expressed this in a recent interaction with Jatin Sapru.

Rishabh Pant on working out with Virat Kohli 😂❤️ pic.twitter.com/cgMRaaaZPM

— Sandy (@flamboypant) March 16, 2025

Fitness is one of the vital parts of the game and Kohli made it clear in the past how badly he wants the same intensity among all the players on the side, which will help them in putting high-class fitness on the ground.

Rishabh Pant aims for a new journey with LSG in IPL 2025

After missing 2023 due to a fatal injury from his accident, Rishabh Pant returned to the field in IPL 2024 for the Delhi Capitals, where the left-handed batter smacked 446 runs in 13 innings at an average of 40.54 and a strike rate of 155.40, thanks to three half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 88 runs.

Overall, he has 3284 runs in the 20-over franchise competition at an average of 35.31 and a strike rate of 148.93, thanks to 18 half-centuries and one century at the best score of unbeaten 128 runs. He went through a smooth period in the longest format during the home series against Bangladesh and New Zealand and the away trip to Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.

But the Uttarakhand-born will be a little edgy going into the IPL, having not played any competitive game in the last four weeks. The national management went with KL Rahul in the Champions Trophy, making Pant carry the drinks for the entire competition.

Rishabh Pant strengthens LSG’s middle order

Lucknow has backed their Indian pace bowling department for the new season, which means they can exploit the overseas players in the top and middle order of the batting department.

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Mitchell Marsh, who will play as a batter in the season, can open the innings. Their middle order will be superbly powerplay, with the three left-handers, Rishabh Pant, Nicholas Pooran, and David Miller, all of whom are excellent power hitters against the spinners.

Their opening game of the IPL 2025 will be against the Capitals on March 24 in Vishakhapatnam.