"Rishabh Pant's on-field performances have not been satisfactory at all" - Virat Kohli's childhood coach
Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma recently stated that Team India's wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has failed to make the most of his chances, especially in limited-overs cricket.
During a discussion on India News Sports, Sharma pointed out how the team management has consistently given opportunities to Pant. He emphasized that while the left-handed batter has performed admirably in Test matches, he has not been able to replicate the same success in shorter formats.
Sharma explained:
"Rishabh Pant's on-field performances have not been satisfactory at all. It is very unfortunate, as he has been given a long rope by the team management. We all know how Virat Kohli showed great faith in Pant during his captaincy.
"And even after that, he kept on getting many chances. While he has done quite well in red-ball cricket, he has failed to deliver in white-ball cricket."
The veteran coach opined that Pant should consider playing domestic cricket in order to regain his form. He believes that the southpaw needs to work on his basics again to be able to get out of his slump. Sharma added:
"There is no harm in going back and playing domestic cricket when you are not in form. It is always better to work on your basics if you can see that you are struggling in terms of stroke-making. He should play domestic cricket and then make a comeback to the national side."
Pant notably struggled for form during India's tour of New Zealand. The swashbuckler was promoted to the opening slot in the T20I series. However, he managed to score just 17 runs in two outings. The 25-year-old's woes continued in the ensuing ODI series, as he finished with 25 runs from two innings.
"You have to score runs in order to retain your place in the team" - Saba Karim on Rishabh Pant
During the same discussion, former India cricketer Saba Karim also highlighted how Rishabh Pant has not been able to shine in white-ball cricket lately. He stated that while the Indian think tank has allowed him to bat at different positions, Pant has still not been able to score big runs.
Karim claimed that the player would not be able to retain his place in the team based on such underwhelming performances. He said:
"Rishabh Pant has failed to score runs despite getting a lot of opportunities. He has also been tried out at several positions in the batting order. He has said that he wants to play at No. 4 or No. 5 in this format. But you have to score runs in order to retain your place in the team. The competition is getting very tough."
Rishabh Pant will prefer to open the innings in T20Is 👀
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Pant will next be seen in action during India's upcoming three-match ODI series in Bangladesh. The opening fixture is set to be played at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday, December 4.