Rishabh Pant once again stole the spotlight with his second century of the match on Day 4 of the first Test against England at Headingley, becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter in Test history to score twin hundreds in a single match. His flamboyant batting style and crowd-pleasing persona had fans eagerly waiting for a repeat of his now-iconic somersault celebration from the first innings.

Even former India captain Sunil Gavaskar was among those anticipating the flip. However, after reaching his century, Pant instead gestured toward Gavaskar, possibly indicating “some time later” in response to the subtle request for a celebration. The moment went viral, showing Pant interacting with the legend from the field while the crowd watched with anticipation.

Speaking after the day’s play on Sony Sports Network, Gavaskar expressed his happiness over Pant’s success. “Very, very happy. I mean, anytime an Indian does well, you feel very happy... So to see this young kid come back, I mean, look what had happened to him with all those, with that crash,” he said, referencing Pant’s remarkable comeback from injury. Gavaskar also spoke about the emotional impact cricket has on Indian families and how performances like Pant’s bring joy to millions.

Gavaskar’s Humour and Vaughan’s Curiosity

After scoring his second century, Pant unveiled a new gesture, pointing toward his eye instead of doing a somersault. This prompted former England captain Michael Vaughan to ask, “Can you explain what that celebration is? I was waiting for that flip as well.” Gavaskar responded, “No, this is, I think, basically thanking the gods above. He had something on his eye. He kind of put us on the signal.”

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Sunil Gavaskar asking Rishabh Pant to do Summersault celebration to which he replied next time for sure 😭❤️ pic.twitter.com/mzCbugYDfT

— RP17 Gang™ (@RP17Gang) June 23, 2025

See Also: [WATCH] "Aise Yeh Zaroori Nahi Hai!": Rishabh Pant criticizes himself for reckless shot on Day 4 in ENG vs IND first Test

In a light-hearted moment, Gavaskar also shared a personal anecdote. “You know what, I've got to confess that after that I came here, and I tried not to do the backflip—no chance... but I used to do the backstand,” he said. “So if I could have done it successfully then, then I would have shown it here, but I wasn't able to.” Pant’s 118-run knock, combined with KL Rahul’s 137, helped India post 364 in their second innings, setting England a target of 371. At stumps, the hosts were 21/0, with Crawley and Duckett unbeaten on 12 and 9.

India's vice-captain Rishabh Pant lit up Headingley on Day 2 of the 1st Test against England with a stunning century, celebrating it with his now-infamous acrobatic celebration. Pant got to his 7th Test hundred in classic style, scoring 100 off 146 balls, hitting 10 boundaries and 4 big sixes. As soon as he hit the milestone, he thrilled fans by pulling off a clean backflip—his signature move.

This is not the first time Pant has showcased this athletic celebration. Earlier this year during the IPL, the Lucknow Super Giants skipper had celebrated in the same fashion after reaching a century against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. His repeated use of the somersault move has now become a part of his special cricketing persona, winning praise from fans as well as fellow cricketers.

Notably, this was Pant’s 3rd Test century on English soil, solidifying his reputation as a formidable batter in overseas conditions. But beyond the numbers, this celebration was also more symbolic than anything else. It was a moment of happiness for fans of cricket who had been eagerly waiting for Pant's return to form following a near-fatal road accident in December 2022.

A Comeback to Remember

Pant’s journey back to cricket has been nothing short of remarkable. He had suffered multiple injuries when his car collided with a road divider on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. Traveling to his hometown of Roorkee, Pant was initially taken to a nearby hospital before being shifted to Dehradun. He had sustained serious injuries to his head, back, and feet, and his career hung in the balance.

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ONE OF THE GREATEST CELEBRATION IN CRICKET - PANT 🥶 pic.twitter.com/WwGqii9wFc

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) June 21, 2025

See Also: Watch: Yashasvi Jaiswal opens up to Dhruv Jurel after smashing maiden Test century in England

Ahead of the England series, Pant had opened up about the emotional and physical toll the recovery took on him. “Coming forward, the last two years have been tough coming back from the (car) accident, but at the same time I want to be an individual who is learning each and every day. See, for me, after my accident, just being on the ground and making people believe that I can come back and the kind of love they have shown me, it’s always going to be special for me,” he had said.

Rishabh Pant's impressive cartwheel celebration after scoring his century against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2025 has created a stir on the internet. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain scored an unbeaten 118 runs off 61 balls, including 11 fours and 8 sixes, in a must-win match at Ekana Stadium on May 27, 2025. The spectacular backflip, the first he has done in a cricket context, represented his successful return to form and created a worldwide wave of excitement as fans, especially from Nigeria, began to perform their versions of the iconic backflip celebration.

Nigerian influencers, dressed in LSG jerseys, eagerly replicated Pant’s backflip, which represented his worldwide popularity. Clips of these excited fans, replicating the backflip celebration, began circulating all over the world, with many referring to Pant as a "Global Star". It was not just Pant’s quickfire century off 54 balls, the fastest by an LSG batsman, that quietened his critics, but he had now also reinforced his credentials as an entertainer by rallying thousands of fans in Nigeria, across the world, to wear LSG jerseys and celebrate his incredible backflip.

IPL 2025 Qualifier 2: PBKS vs MI Set for High-Stakes Clash at Narendra Modi Stadium

As the excitement builds, the focus shifts to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where the Punjab Kings (PBKS) will face the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2025. Under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings will be hoping to bounce back after losing in Qualifier 1 and are backed by in-form players like Josh Inglis and Prabhsimran Singh. The top-order firepower of PBKS could be a factor on what is sure to be a high-scoring pitch.

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Nigerians recreating Rishabh Pant's century celebration. ❤️🐐

- Global Star Rishabh Pant 🌟 pic.twitter.com/NlubSamEGF

— RP17 Gang™ (@RP17Gang) May 31, 2025

Also Read: IPL 2025: PBKS vs MI Qualifier 2 - A Head to Head breakdown

The Mumbai Indians, who had star power including the big-hit players Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah, came into this contest with confidence after defeating the Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator match. The winner of this Qualifier 2 match will earn a place in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, while the losing side will exit the tournament.