With his multiple blitzkrieg innings in the Indian Premier League and flamboyance both on and off the field, young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant captured the cricketing world's imagination in a jiffy. He was touted as the natural successor to former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was in the twilight of his career.
Despite promising centuries in Australia and England in Tests, his performance in the limited overs format has been pretty ordinary. His bizarre shot-selection and sloppy wicketkeeping has put pressure on him. Frequent comparisons with Dhoni, a “rap on the knuckles” in public from head coach Ravi Shastri, and unexplained, and often seemingly illogical, axing from the playing XI by the selectors, have not done his confidence any good.
With K.L. Rahul being preferred as the wicketkeeper-batsman over Pant in limited overs format now, Pant's career is at crossroads.
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Former India pacer Ashish Nehra, too, stressed on the blunders the MSK Prasad-led Indian selection panel and the team management had made in the case of the young wicketkeeper-batsman.
In a conversation with cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra in the latter's programme Aakashvani, Nehra said the players should be given a longer rope. “There are a lot of talented players but they should be backed for a longer duration. Today also when we talk about the number 5 and 6 slots in Indian ODI side, then we are not sure about it,” Nehra said. “KL Rahul is playing on the 5th position and Pant, the person you were preparing to succeed M.S. Dhoni, is serving water.
“I know he has missed his chances and there is no doubt about it but then you have kept him in the team because you saw the potential in him at 22-23 years,” Nehra said.
Pant has played 13 Tests, 16 ODIs and 28 T20Is for India.
