Rishabh Pant heads into IPL 2026 with plenty riding on his shoulders, especially in the white-ball format, where his place is no longer assured. He has slipped out of India’s T20I plans and is still searching for consistency to cement a spot in the ODI team’s XI. The previous IPL season didn’t help his case either. Despite carrying a hefty INR 27 crore price tag, Pant struggled to deliver regularly. He managed 269 runs in 14 matches, with an unbeaten 118 being the lone standout, but that knock came when his team was already out of contention. For most of the campaign, he couldn’t quite get going, and a strike rate of 133.16 only added to the concerns. With expectations still high, IPL 2026 now shapes up as a crucial opportunity for Pant to rediscover his touch and silence the doubts.
The wicketkeeper also spent time training with veteran all-rounder Yuvraj Singh ahead of the season. Yuvraj has built a reputation for mentoring young talent, having worked closely with players like Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, and even guiding Sanju Samson in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan revealed details of his recent conversation with Yuvraj, shedding light on Pant’s preparation and role. Pathan shared that Yuvraj’s focus while working with Pant wasn’t on technique but on building his mental strength through long, discussion-driven sessions, even as he stressed the importance of locking the wicketkeeper-batter at No.3 to maximise his impact during the powerplay.
“It is very important that Rishabh Pant gets to bat during the powerplay. Nicholas Pooran has batted at No.3 for them, but Rishabh Pant must be locked in batting at No.3 so that he gets to bat in the powerplay. So, I believe that just lock it. After he worked with Yuvraj Singh, I spoke to Yuvi, and Yuvi told me that more than technical aspects, he worked with Rishabh on the mental side of the game. 3-4 hour sessions were dedicated to just talking,” Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
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“A lot of responsibility on Rishabh Pant”
Pathan further underlined the weight of expectations on Pant this season, pointing out that the wicketkeeper-batter’s leadership and performances will be crucial to the team’s qualification hopes.
“There will be a lot of responsibility on Rishabh Pant. We will have to see what he does to get this team qualified. Whatever I have seen of him so far, he looks to be more fit and focused. He has spent 4-5 days with Yuvraj Singh as well. Now we will have to see how he brings those learnings onto the field. He always seemed to be under pressure last year. It seemed that he was not enjoying cricket. He needs to enjoy cricket,” Pathan said.
