Daniel Vettori, a former New Zealand captain, feels dashing Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is yet to discover what works best for him in the T20 format. According to Daniel Vettori, Rishabh Pant looked confused with the willow in hand during the New Zealand series.
Rishabh Pant registered scores of 17* and 12* in the first two T20Is before being dismissed for 4 in Sunday’s match in Kolkata. However, his performances with the bat in the T20 format have not been convincing of late.
Daniel Vettori: Rishabh Pant Hasn’t Got His Temperament Right
Asked what is ailing keeper Rishabh Pant when it comes to his batting in the 20-over format, Daniel Vettori opined during a discussion that he hasn’t got his temperament right as sometimes he is overly cautious. At the same time, some other times, he is reckless.
“He hasn’t got his tempo right in T20 cricket. He hasn’t quite understood his role, particularly in this series. Sometimes he is overly cautious, then he is reckless. It doesn’t feel like there is a flow to his game. When you see great T20 batters batting well, it is all about flow and momentum and you just feel a rhythm to it. He hasn’t quite got that yet,” Daniel Vettori said.
The Kiwi legend added that the Indian management think-tank needs to have a detailed chat with the youngster and explain their expectations as a batter.
Daniel Vettori elaborated: “I will be surprised if they (team management) don’t talk long and hard about what they expect from him. But, the onus is on Pant to find that right tempo.
“The reality is, if he doesn’t, they can look elsewhere. They have Ishan Kishan and KL can keep wickets as well in T20. They will give Pant the opportunity to find his rhythm, knowing that they can change pretty quick as well.”
Before the bilateral T20I series against New Zealand, Rishabh Pant registered scores of 39, 12, and 27* during India’s T20 World Cup 2021 campaign, where they were ousted from the group stage itself after heavy defeats against Pakistan and New Zealand.
Rishabh Pant Deserves A Break After Consistently Playing For 2 Years Non-Stop Feels Robin Uthappa
Indian batter Robin Uthappa has a slightly different take on Rishabh Pant’s inconsistency with the bat. He pointed out that the 24-year-old has been a part of the Indian team across formats over the last two years. Backing the youngster to rediscover his mojo, Robin Uthappa elaborated that he deserves a break as he is suffering from mental fatigue for constantly staying in bio bubbles.
“Rishabh has been on the road with the Indian team for a couple of years non-stop. He has made himself available to play anything and everything without complaining.
“To be constantly in a bubble saps you. I am certain that also has an implication on the way he performs on the field. Maybe lack of clarity or mental fatigue, it could be just that as well. He is a high-class player and it’s a matter of time before he comes back and hits the ball the way we know he can. I think he deserves a bit of a break to just switch off from cricket.”
Rishabh Pant has been rested for the two-match Test series against New Zealand, which begins in Kanpur on November 25. The likes of Wriddhiman Saha and KS Bharat have been named in place of the left-hander who did wonders in Australia Down Under and England at home.
Rishabh Pant wasn’t able to set the recent T20I series on fire with the bat, as he scored 33 runs (4, 12*, 17*) in the three matches against New Zealand while batting at No. 4 and 5. Rishabh Pant is sometimes accused of throwing his wicket away despite being set often. He has amassed 623 runs in 41 T20Is averaging 23.07 with only 2 fifties with a highest score of 65*.