Rishabh Pant continues to polarise opinions. His indifferent form in white-ball cricket has come under much scrutiny and frustrating at times considering he has been a delight in Tests.
Having arrived into the international scene as a big-hitting batter, Pant has tasted more success in red-ball cricket for India than in limited-overs despite being given a long run. Not that he hasn’t, at times, shown why the Indian team management continues to back him s heavily – his hundred against England in an ODI comes to mind.
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However, a glance at his scores in T20Is reveal he has been failing to capitalise on chances. In his last 10 innings in the shortest format for India, Pant has crossed 40 just once, 30 once, 20 or more twice and thrice dismissed in single-digit totals.
In ODIs his record has been much better having scored a century and three half-centuries in his last 10 innings. Currently, he’s part of India’s squad for the New Zealand tour where in the three T20Is he scored a combined 33 while in the first ODI, he was out after managing just 15.
Considering that someone like Sanju Samson continues to warm the benches, Pant’s failures appear more glaring.
Former India opener and world cup winner Kris Srikkanth reckons that it’s time Pant should be given a break from playing international cricket but has also criticised the team management for the way they’ve handled him.
“Maybe you can give him (Pant) a break and tell him ‘just wait a bit, come and play in India’, they haven’t handled him well. Are you going to wait for a couple of matches before giving him a break or remove him after one or two games? ” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel Cheeky Cheeka.
“Yes, Rishabh Pant is not utilising the chances he’s getting. I am very disappointed – ennada Pant-u (what is this Pant)?,” he added.
Srikkanth suggests Pant needs to reinvent his game and probably spend some time in the middle before going hammer and tongs.
“You are messing up these chances. If you smash into such matches, it’ll be good right? The World Cup is coming up. Already a lot of people are saying that Pant isn’t scoring so it’ll add fuel to the fire. He’s going to put pressure on himself. He needs to reinvent himself. He has to do something right – stand and play for a while and then go for it…He’s throwing his wicket away all the time,” Srikkanth said.
Pant will have another chance to get back among the runs in the third and final ODI against New Zealand slated to be held on Wednesday.
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