Rishabh Pant rediscovered his best just in time, hammering a sensational century in Lucknow during the final league game of IPL 2025 between Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Heading into the match, Pant had endured a torrid season with the bat—scoring only 151 runs across 11 innings at an average of 13.73 and a strike rate of 107.09. But under pressure, the LSG skipper delivered a performance of pure class. Pant reached his hundred off just 54 balls in the 18th over (17.5), marking his second century in the IPL and his first in seven years. His previous ton came back in 2018 when he struck an unbeaten 128 off 63 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. Notably, this 54-ball hundred is now the fastest ever by an LSG batter in IPL history. His timely knock came in a must-win encounter for RCB, who are pushing for a top-two finish. Pant’s innings formed the cornerstone of a massive 227-3 total posted by LSG after being asked to bat first. He shared a brutal 152-run stand with Mitchell Marsh, who scored 67 off 37 balls, putting RCB’s bowlers to the sword. With this total on the board, LSG have thrown a serious challenge at RCB. The stakes are high—for Bengaluru, a win ensures a top-two finish and a direct clash with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 1, giving them two cracks at making the IPL final. Pant’s return to form couldn’t have come at a more dramatic time.