“Unnecessary”: Rishabh Pant’s Doctor Reacts to His Famous Somersault Celebration
Rishabh Pant hits twin tons on Test return, stuns with somersault celebration; doctor, fans react to emotional comeback.
Rishabh Pant‘s comeback to Test cricket has been thrilling, filled with emotion, fire, and a bit of acrobatics.
Playing his first Test since 2022, the wicketkeeper-batter smashed twin centuries (134 and 118) in the opening Test against England at Headingley, and stunned fans again, not just with his bat, but with a cheeky somersault celebration.
After reaching his first hundred, Pant surprised everyone with a gymnast-style somersault. Even Sunil Gavaskar, who was watching from the stands, was seen asking for an encore after the second century.
Pant didn’t repeat the flip then, choosing instead to do the Dele Alli hand gesture but told Gavaskar he may show the somersault again later in the series. However, not everyone was excited about the stunt.
Doctor Who Treated Pant After His Crash Speaks
Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, who operated on Pant after his serious car accident in December 2022, reacted to the celebration with both admiration and caution.
“Rishabh trained as a gymnast – and so although he looks large, he is quite agile… It’s a well-practised and perfected move – unnecessary though!” Dr. Pardiwala told The Telegraph.
Pant was treated by Dr. Pardiwala at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. The cricketer had suffered multiple injuries, including ligament damage to his knee, and spent over a year in rehab. Since his return during IPL 2024, his improved fitness and maturity have impressed everyone.
“He’s Not The Same Rishabh”
Speaking about Pant’s journey post-accident, Dr. Pardiwala added that the Delhi batter has changed as a person.
“He’s much more mature now. After going through something so serious, he understands life better. He’s philosophical and values things more than before,” he said.
Pant Reveals Why He Did The Somersault
In a chat with Sony Sports, Pant explained the reason behind his unique celebration.
“I had three celebration ideas. One was ‘let the bat do the talking.’ But I wanted to do something different. I’ve trained in gymnastics since school, so I went with a somersault,” he shared.
He had also done a similar celebration earlier in IPL 2025 while playing for Lucknow Super Giants.
India Lose Despite Pant’s Heroics
Despite Pant’s twin tons, India lost the first Test as England chased down 371 runs to win by five wickets. Pant became the first Indian to score a hundred in both innings of a Test in England, but his efforts went in vain as the series started on a disappointing note for India.
