The case of Rishabh Pant is becoming all the more curious. The left-handed batter is no longer an all-format player and just plays Test cricket for India. Moreover, he has lost his vice-captaincy in the longest format, and KL Rahul now serves as Shubman Gill’s deputy. One doesn’t need a rocket scientist to figure out that the mind of the cricketer is really cluttered, and everything came to the surface during IPL 2026 when he dropped an ‘F’ bomb on live TV during his chat with the broadcaster.
The recent warm-up fixture against the SLC XI ahead of two Sri Lanka Tests also left Pant confused, as he struggled to adopt a single approach. The first innings saw him playing a reckless shot early on. While the second innings saw him going into his shell, it all ended with him playing another aerial shot, only to walk back to the pavilion.
Ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, Pant has been advised to play his natural game, as only then will his best come out. The team management has also been urged to give the batter the freedom to bat the way he wants.
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“He should bat exactly the way he usually does. I remember a few matches back where he was overtly defensive. I would rather have him get out going for a six than getting out playing a forceful defence. Rishabh should get the freedom to attack, and that’s also his strength. Also, Sri Lanka’s spinners are predominantly left-arm spinners. So Rishabh being in form and having the right mindset is crucial for India in this series,” former India batter Deep Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel.
‘Depends on strength’
The former India wicketkeeper-batter also said that one needs to stop making a fuss about batters getting out while trying to hit an aerial shot. He added that it all depends on the player’s true strength.
“This word responsibility is a complicated word. The viewers’ mindset is also strange: if a batter defends and gets out, that’s not irresponsible. But if someone plays a shot and gets out, it becomes irresponsible. The truth is certain batters have defence as their strength, while it’s attack for others. But getting out while defending has become acceptable, whereas it’s deemed irresponsible or rash if it’s an attacking shot,” said Dasgupta.
“Instead, you should analyse if the timing was right or if it was the right bowler to attack. But most of us judge a dismissal only by whether it’s an attacking shot. We must understand that an attacking batter will get out playing a shot 8 out of 10 times. So it’s important not to just say things for the heck of it,” he added.
Pant has never played a Test on Sri Lankan soil, and the Galle match would be his first Test in the country. The first Test of the two-match series will begin on Saturday, August 15.