The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant found himself in an awkward yet humorous situation during the toss ahead of their IPL 2026 match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Tuesday. The exchange with commentator Ian Bishop, who inquired about the absence of senior pacer Mohammed Shami from the playing XI, quickly went viral on social media.
The Toss and Team Changes
Rajasthan Royals' stand-in skipper Yashasvi Jaiswal won the toss and elected to bowl first. RR's regular captain Riyan Parag missed the match due to a hamstring injury sustained in the previous game, while Ravindra Jadeja was also unavailable as he recovers from what the team described as “some niggles.” Rajasthan made three changes, bringing in Sandeep Sharma, Sushant Mishra, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius into the playing XI. LSG also made two changes, with Mohsin Khan replacing Shami and Ayush Badoni coming in for Aiden Markram.
The Confusing Exchange
During the toss, Pant confirmed that Shami had been left out. However, when Bishop asked the reason behind the pacer’s omission, the conversation quickly turned confusing. The exchange unfolded as follows:
- Pant: Shami is not playing, Mohsin is playing.
- Bishop: What’s the issue with Shami?
- Pant: Yeah.
- Bishop: What’s the issue with Shami?
- Pant: Mohsin.
- Bishop: No, what’s the issue with Shami?
- Pant: (seemingly puzzled)
- Bishop: Who is out?
- Pant: Shami is out, Mohsin is playing.
- Bishop: Ya, I’m asking…
- Pant: Aiden is out, Badoni is in.
- Bishop: Okay, we can leave it there.
- Pant: (nods his head)
The moment quickly went viral on social media, with fans reacting to Pant’s confused replies and Bishop’s repeated attempts to get clarity on Shami’s absence.
Match Context
Rajasthan Royals came into the match placed fifth on the points table, while Lucknow Super Giants were already out of the playoff race. The match held significance for RR as they aimed to strengthen their playoff position, while LSG looked to end their campaign on a positive note.
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