The Indian Premier League (IPL) has never been just about cricket. It’s a grand carnival where cricketing excellence meets Bollywood glitz, and where stadium lights often blur the line between bat-and-ball drama and celebrity intrigue. In IPL 2025, as the battle between franchises heats up on the pitch, an old subplot has re-emerged off it — featuring actress Urvashi Rautela and star cricketer Rishabh Pant.
This season, Urvashi is once again in the headlines, not for a film premiere or a fashion statement, but for something as seemingly innocent as her choice of favourite IPL teams. But in the world of cricket and celebrity gossip, even a simple declaration can cause ripples — especially when it hints at rekindling a rumour the public thought had long been extinguished.
Urvashi Rautela Declares Her Allegiances
In a recent interview with entertainment platform Filmygyan, Urvashi revealed her picks for the 2025 season: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). While her love for RCB is longstanding — she backed them during IPL 2024 too — it was her support for LSG that raised eyebrows and reignited social media speculation.
That’s because LSG is now captained by none other than Rishabh Pant, who was traded from Delhi Capitals ahead of the season in a staggering ₹27 crore deal — one of the biggest player moves in IPL history.
The “RP” Connection — Revisited
The association between Urvashi and Pant dates back to mid-2022, when the actress mentioned someone named “RP” in an interview. The internet, ever vigilant and always eager for a scoop, quickly linked “RP” to Rishabh Pant. Rumours swirled, memes multiplied, and hashtags trended.
At the time, Pant reportedly responded with cryptic Instagram stories — seen by many as indirect shade — while Urvashi later clarified that “RP” referred to her Telugu co-star, Ram Pothineni. But once gossip takes root, it rarely dies, especially when both figures continue to dominate headlines in their respective spheres.
Team Switch Sparks Fresh Rumours
In IPL 2024, Urvashi had been spotted cheering for Delhi Capitals, the very team Pant was leading then. Now, with Pant donning LSG colours, Urvashi too seems to have shifted loyalties. The coincidence was too juicy for fans and meme-makers to ignore.
Soon after her team announcement, social media exploded with reactions:
“She follows wherever Rishabh goes 😂”
“New team, same reason. 🕵️♂️ #PantWatch”
“Publicity stunt 101 💅”
“Plot twist: It’s all marketing by LSG PR team 😂”
Instagram reels, fan edits, and Twitter/X threads dissected her statement like a political speech, with fans debating whether her switch was motivated by cricket or by… something more personal.
Rishabh Pant: Focused on Cricket, and Isha Negi?
Amid the revived speculation, it’s worth noting that Rishabh Pant has shown no public inclination toward the rumoured connection with Urvashi. On the contrary, recent social media activity suggests he’s in a steady relationship with entrepreneur and interior designer Isha Negi.
The two have been seen together in photos circulated online, including a few holiday snaps and celebratory moments post-surgery and rehab, when Pant made his much-anticipated return to the game in late 2024.
Pant has always maintained a private yet no-nonsense approach when it comes to controversies. During the peak of the 2022 Urvashi saga, he subtly dismissed the speculations with a now-deleted story that read: “It’s funny how people lie in interviews just for some meagre popularity.”
While he hasn’t commented on Urvashi’s latest team choices, his silence may well be his response.
Urvashi’s Take — Or the Lack Thereof
Unlike Pant, Urvashi has never addressed the rumours head-on — not in 2022, not now. While she did clarify the “RP” reference, she has steered clear of naming names or confirming links, choosing instead to focus on her career moves and red carpet appearances.
Her Instagram feed — followed by over 70 million users — is full of fashion shoots, film teasers, brand endorsements, and occasional sports-related posts. There’s no direct mention of Pant, and no allusion to the gossip that continues to chase her across IPL seasons.
It’s a strategy that’s worked for her — say little, let the speculation stir, and stay in the news.
The IPL, Always a Magnet for Glitz
It’s no secret that the IPL has a long-standing tradition of celebrity involvement — from team owners like Shah Rukh Khan (KKR) and Preity Zinta (PBKS), to WAGs cheering in the stands, and stars performing at opening ceremonies. Urvashi’s presence in this world isn’t new; she’s often been spotted at matches, interacted with players, and shared reels in team jerseys.
And while her cricket knowledge has been mocked in the past by trolls, she remains an undeniable part of the IPL’s pop culture appeal.
From Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli to Athiya Shetty-KL Rahul, celebrity-cricketer pairings have become a part of mainstream discourse. But with Urvashi and Pant, the relationship, if any, remains unconfirmed and mostly constructed by fan theories and viral moments.
Public Fascination: Harmless Fun or Intrusive Speculation?
At its heart, this is a story about our collective obsession with celebrity pairings. The Urvashi-Pant chatter reflects how quickly public interest can turn a single word (“RP”) into a full-fledged narrative, especially when two high-profile personalities are involved.
Some fans argue it’s all in good fun. Others call out the unfairness of constant scrutiny, particularly towards women celebrities. Urvashi, despite being a successful actress, finds herself regularly defined by the men she may or may not have dated. Pant, on the other hand, is mostly evaluated based on his cricket.
The double standards are evident — and so is the public’s hunger for spice in their cricket diet.
In the End, Who’s Winning?
Ironically, it might be both Urvashi and the IPL that benefit from this chatter.
For Urvashi, the continued intrigue keeps her in the spotlight during the country’s most-watched sporting event. For the IPL, every off-field subplot — real or imagined — only adds to the entertainment factor. Broadcasters, social media teams, and meme pages are all riding the wave, feeding the engagement machine.
As for Pant, he seems to be letting the bat (and captaincy) do the talking — leading a transformed LSG with renewed focus and poise.
A Love Story, or Just a Distraction?
As IPL 2025 continues to deliver edge-of-the-seat thrillers, Urvashi Rautela’s evolving team loyalties and the ghost of “RP” remain a sideshow — compelling, amusing, and occasionally baffling. Whether it’s just another gossip cycle or something deeper is anyone’s guess.
But if there’s one thing certain, it’s this: in the world of IPL, the drama isn’t confined to 22 yards.
And as long as stars like Urvashi Rautela and players like Rishabh Pant exist within the same pop-culture universe, the boundary between sport and spectacle will always be gloriously blurred.
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