Let’s start by discussing Rishab Pant’s IPL stats: 0, 15, 2, 2, DNB, 21, 63, 3. To have his batting examined forensically is not a concerning reason for concern. Being the most daring of all Indian batsmen, Pant is certain to have big numbers in T20 cricket, where a high-risk strategy is the norm. The IPL is the beast among all of them.
However, it is hardly surprising that Pant has white-ball problems. Behind the scenes, not everyone was convinced of Pant’s inclusion in India’s T20 World Cup squad when he joined them last year. India had flirted with KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan during the months he was recuperating from a car accident. Since none of them were able to secure the position, Pant’s X-factor was considered essential for the World Cup in the United States and the Caribbean. As a left-hander, he was able to integrate into a team that was primarily composed of right-handers. In a team with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma starting at the top, his aggressive, daring style of play was much desired.
Pant has only played in two Twenty20 Internationals since their victory, which took place in Sri Lanka last July under new captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir. He has not been included in the white-ball squads as India was scheduled to play ten Test matches in four months, with Rohit Sharma’s team choosing KL Rahul for the Champions Trophy instead. He therefore entered the event lacking match touch when the IPL started. He has only played in one Ranji match since the end of the Australia trip. As the leader of a squad with few bowling resources, he has also been overworked.
Pant hasn’t appeared out of sorts thus far in the IPL, where he has only once reached the 25-mark. Instead, he has looked like a batsman looking for rhythm and flow. Is he getting out of shape? Indeed. But Pant’s DNA is that. It occurs frequently with him in a variety of formats. After arriving early and controlling Lucknow’s innings before being pinned down by Noor Ahmad, Pant seemed to find his former self in the match against the Chennai Super Kings. Even still, the 63 runs against Chennai would have greatly boosted his confidence. The fact that Nicholas Pooran has been playing so well has also allowed Pant to get off with little criticism, unlike Rohit Sharma.
All things considered, if Pant is serious about restoring his white-ball career with India, the second half of the IPL is still crucial. India hasn’t given Pant the reins after the 2023 World Cup because they still value Rahul’s adaptability more than the combination of a left-handed batsman and wicketkeeper that Pant offers. Rahul has improved his white-ball skills in the Champions Trophy, and he will be at the top of the list when the think tank sits down to create the 2027 World Cup blueprint.
In T20I, where does Pant stand?
More significantly, Pant is aware that he is running out of time for the T20 World Cup the following year after losing his place in India’s T20I squad. It would be difficult for Pant to qualify for the competition unless he finds his form again in the second half of the IPL. In contrast to the previous edition, when he and Suryakumar Yadav were the team’s most daring batsman, there is no such scarcity in the current lineup. India’s batters have embraced the high-risk, daring attitude to unseen levels, from top batsmen Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson to Tilak Varma and Suryakumar to Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya. Pant’s current task is to demonstrate that he is at least as good as them. Given that Gambhir prefers left-right combinations and flexible batsmen, Pant can supply all of these and much more. He only needs to look to Nicholas Pooran, his colleague in Lucknow, if he is looking for motivation. He is currently the most reliable T20 batsman in the world, despite frustrating teams with his premature falls due to his style of play.
The best part is that this is nothing new to Pant. Five seasons in his IPL career have seen him reach a strike-rate of more over 150, which is unusual in and of itself. And he has done so at an average of more than 30 in four of those seasons, which is an effective number by today’s T20 standards. With Rahul out of the T20 picture and Samson also having trouble scoring runs, Pant still has a chance to claim the spot. The answers will come from how quickly he regains his rhythm.
