"He hasn't learned" - Sunil Gavaskar slams Rishabh Pant for getting out cheaply again in 4th T20I vs SA
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar slammed Rishabh Pant after he got out cheaply in the fourth T20I against South Africa in Rajkot on Friday.
After being asked to bat first once again in the series, the hosts lost a couple of wickets within the powerplay. The onus was on captain Pant to rebuild the innings and guide the team to a decent total.
The southpaw played well for his 23-ball 17 but lost his composure in an attempt to shift gears. Rishabh Pant chased an away delivery from Keshav Maharaj, only to find the top-edge. Dwaine Pretorius was at hand to complete an easy catch.
Gavaskar was unhappy with Rishabh Pant throwing away his wicket. Speaking on Star Sports, the 72-year-old said:
“He hasn't learned. He hasn't learned from his previous three dismissals. They throw wide and he keeps going for it. He can't throw enough muscle on that. He has got to stop looking to go aerial that far outside the off-stump."
Sunil Gavaskar added:
"There is no way he's going to get enough on it. It has gone to short-third! They all plan it, South African bowlers and Temba Bavuma… just bowl wide outside the off-stump and you will get him.”
Just too good to not turn into a bigger beast than he already is.
Rishabh Pant should walk into the Indian T20I team (or any format really). That said, this needs fixing. Teams have planned well to him, and his counter needs working. He will get there 💪 Just too good to not turn into a bigger beast than he already is.
#INDvSA https://t.co/MWh1oMvn9h
Out of the four games in this series against South Africa, Pant has got out thrice while chasing an away delivery. He has failed to convert his good starts in the last few games, which will keep the management on their toes.
India will want Rishabh to fire with the bat with a few important series lined up later this year, including the T20 World Cup in Australia.
"He will never get enough power on it" - Sunil Gavaskar on Rishabh Pant's shots
Analyzing Pant's dismissal further, Gavaskar stated that batters won't be able to generate any power if he tries to hit an away delivery.
He explained:
“10 times, he has been dismissed wide outside off-stump (in T20s in 2022). Some of them would've been called wide if he hadn't made contact with it. Because he's so far away, he has to reach out for it. He will never get enough power on it. To keep getting out in the same series in the same manner, for a captain of the Indian team, that's not a good sign."
Love Rishabh pant as a cricketer but his t20 international numbers need to get better…
Rishabh Pant has accumulated only 57 runs from four matches in this series. He will look to end the series with a flourish on Sunday before flying to the UK for an all-format series.