Rishabh Pant Shouldn’t be about numbers. He should not be about centuries and fifties, averages and strike-rates because, he is Rishabh Pant. The maverick, the capricious genius, the destroyer of reputations and enthusiasms, the man who can make the impossible seem ridiculously simple.
But the nature of this beast of cricket is such that like all other batsmen, he will also be measured on the basis of numbers. Especially in a 20-over game, those numbers are shifted to influence the outcome of matches.
Viewed against that backdrop, Pant would be the first to admit that he has been a prodigious player. Not only has he let himself down time and time again, he has let down his teammates as well. Having represented the country for the first time in a T20I a year and a half before his Test debut, he is no longer on the radar of the national team. But interestingly, he has also had back-to-back failures in the IPL, the mother tongue of the 20-over format for which he would appear to be the most natural fit.
After reviving a dreadful season in 2025 with an unbeaten 118 (in a losing cause) in the last of his 14 innings, which took his tally to 269 (average 24.45, strike-rate 133.17), the 28-year-old also had a poor second season with Lucknow Super Giants. Since his match-winning unbeaten 67 against Sunrisers Hyderabad two and a half weeks ago, he has managed just 72 runs in his next five innings, including a duck off three balls on Wednesday against Rajasthan Royals, which perfectly explains why he is currently in the doldrums of 20-over cricket.
Let Pant try to break the T20 slump, which should be a major source of concern not only for him, but also for the LSG think-tank (India are untouched at the moment).
Inability/unwillingness to play the position
Wednesday was a prime example of Pant’s extended brain-weary phase. Chasing 160 on spicy red clay Lucknow deck, LSG lost Ayush Badoni Was run out in the very first over. Pant’s reaction was furious. And wrong advice was given. He missed a charge and a hook on the first ball against South Africa’s finest left-arm fast bowler Nandre Berger. A fumble on a hard-length ball, which barely made it to mid-wicket on the second ball. And then a deadly ball from outside off which came off the edge and into the gloves of Dhruv Jurel.
The situation requires patience, understanding and common sense. Rajasthan were playing three seamers – Jofra Archer and Brijesh Sharma were the others – and it was important to keep the wicket in hand during the power play as the required rate was not very demanding. This was not the kind of track that encouraged optimistic bravery. Maybe it was his ego, maybe it was too much (misplaced?) confidence in himself. For whatever reason, Pant showed little respect for the playing situation and circumstances. It’s not the first time in recent memory and, unless he makes a very conscious effort, it won’t be the last.
shaky batting position
As captain, Pant is in an excellent position to create the atmosphere. He is also well placed to outline a systematic batting order in consultation with head coach Justin Langer and strategic advisor/coach Jane Williamson. But for reasons best known to him, Pant found himself dropped to No. 3 after a hesitant innings as an opening batsman, resulting in a run out at the bowler’s end.
In his last six innings, he has been at No. 3, which is probably the best position for him as he can control the innings, whether coming in on the second ball or after a power play when the ground spreads out. With the two big guns right behind him – Aiden Markram and Nicholas Pooran – also equally in the wars, the temptation to make changes in the batting order may prove too great. But Pant’s best returns have come once in a while and to rediscover his scoring form, it is a spot he will have to occupy for the remainder of the season.
Carelessness in shot selection
When he does outrageous things, Pant becomes the biggest icon of a nation, but when he ignores the percentages and looks stupid, ‘Stupid, stupid, stupid’ will be a common reaction. Pant has every shot in the book, most in fact, and he plays them with equal delight. He is as comfortable driving through the covers or playing the pull through mid-wicket as he is with the falling hake and the quickest reverse ramp in the business.
Maybe one is being too charitable, but perhaps, Pant sometimes gets confused about which stroke to play because he has so many strokes. True, he wouldn’t have been Pant if he had only played orthodox shots, but bedding yourself in, giving yourself time to assess the pitch and bowling, getting a few runs under your belt and then expressing yourself the way you want to would not be the worst idea.
Obviously, rubbing the green isn’t his cup of tea, so why not take a step back and work your way through the runs? A ‘boring’ but high performing pant is better than an exciting but decidedly underachieving pant. Pant is no longer an 18-year-old player. He is one of the elder statesmen of Indian cricket and it is undeniable that he should start embracing that role.
trying too hard too soon
As pundits like to say, 120 deliveries is a lot of time. Vaibhav Suryavanshi can score a half-century in 15 balls because the strength is with him. Perhaps a decade ago Pant was where the left-handed batsman from Bihar was, but now, he is more experienced and mature and therefore potentially no longer the rash man-child.
He needs to stop being a victim of his own expectations in terms of entertainment and batting in fifth gear from the start. Especially when things are not going one’s way, as they have not been for the last season and a half, it might not be the worst idea to tone down the aggression and build an innings the semi-old-fashioned way, and even more so when the surface is not necessarily the best for ambitious stroke-production.
It also wouldn’t be unreasonable to not be too greedy when facing a belter. Pant has often been guilty of trying to hit the ball too hard, which is why he often loses his shape. A six is ​​a six, whether it falls over the rope or goes to another level. Pant has time to walk with raw power; By abandoning the first in pursuit of the second, he is not doing himself any favors.
crisis of confidence
Just as success leads to success, failure can also lead to greater success. Pant is optimistic and positive by nature, but he would not be a human being if he was not affected by the events going on around him. Being the captain of a team that is on a downward spiral with no end in sight can’t be easy, not least as he has to address the host broadcaster immediately after each defeat. Throw in his own batting audacity, and the picture of an uncertain, anxious young man collapsing under the weight of the world is complete.
How does he get his confidence back? By hitting a few blows through the middle of the bat, lifting the bat a few times to acknowledge the milestone. How does this happen? By spending time at the crease. There is no guarantee of scoring runs better than not getting out.
lots of injuries
There are some players who are the center of attraction for injuries. Take the last three matches only. Pant has suffered an injury on his left elbow (while batting), an injury on his right arm (also while batting) and an injury on his nose on the bounce (while trying to take the ball from deep). These are not major injuries, but they often break one’s rhythm, especially when they occur during batting.
Otherwise too, Pant has had the unfortunate fate of cricketing injuries. Intent on making a comeback to the national 50-over squad after a year and a half against New Zealand this January, he was ruled out of the entire series due to a right hamstring strain and a hamstring injury in the nets. This came less than six months after he broke his leg while attempting a reverse sweep against Chris Woakes in the Manchester Test.
Pant has largely taken care of the matter – he came back to bat with the fracture and scored a half-century in the said Test. Now, he must prove to himself (and the rest will join him) that the T20 beast within him is still alive and kicking. For this, he must summon patience, intelligence, common sense, self-confidence, prudence, practicality and game-and-situational-awareness. None of them are beyond him. After all, flexibility is its calling card.
In his first IPL season after his horrific car accident in 2024, he scored 446 runs at a strike-rate of 155.40. And in his first Test in September the same year, he scored 109 out of 128 against Bangladesh. How about an encore? Over to you, Rishabh Pant.
