'Rishabh Pant should focus on fitness, consistency, temperament': Syed Kirmani
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Syed Kirmani believes Rishabh Pant needs to work on his fitness, consistency, and temperament if he wants to return as a regular player in all formats. Kirmani emphasized the need for Pant to show his physical fitness and performance wherever he is selected. He also stressed that Pant's consistency should be better than that of the other wicketkeepers competing with him.
Performance critique
'Pant most gifted player since Tendulkar'
Speaking to PTI, Kirmani described Pant as the "most gifted and talented" player in Indian cricket since Sachin Tendulkar. He also questioned why Pant has only been playing Tests for the last two years. The former wicketkeeper-batter emphasized that while coaches and mentors can guide players, it is ultimately up to them to perform. He added that if a player doesn't succeed, they can't blame anyone else but themselves.
Accident aftermath
Accident cost Pant some ground, says Kirmani
Pant was involved in a horrific car crash in December 2022, but he made his comeback 15 months later, during IPL 2024. Kirmani said that the accident cost Pant some ground during his recovery, as other wicketkeepers showed consistency in Tests and ODIs. He also noted that after the accident, it was a huge comeback for Pant, who is yet to show the same consistency across all three formats.
Selection challenge
Stiff competition for wicket-keeper spot
Kirmani highlighted the stiff competition among players for selection in the Indian team across all formats. He specifically mentioned Pant, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson as contenders for the wicketkeeper-batter spot in ODIs and T20s. The former cricketer stressed that every player has to be at their best to get selected due to this fierce competition.
Run
A look at his journey
Since Pant's Test debut in 2018, no Indian batter has scored more runs than him. Across 50 Tests so far, the batter has recorded 3,557 runs at a fine average of 43.37. He has recorded 8 tons and 19 fifties in the format. His tally of 97 Test sixes is also the most for any Indian batter. Despite being India's match-winner in whites, Pant has fallen out of the pecking order in limited-overs cricket. He was also stripped of his Test vice-captaincy recently.