He was the most expensive player at the auction but in India colours, didn’t even get a game in the Champions Trophy. This season of the T20 league could determine the ‘keeper-batter’s future limited-overs prospects
Indian cricket will get into IPL mode soon and most of the talk will revolve around comparing price tags and performances. One man who is certain to be at the centre of it all is Rishabh Pant, currently the most expensive player in the history of IPL after Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bid Rs 27 crore for him in the mega auction.
Interestingly, both Pant and the second most expensive player, Shreyas Iyer (Rs 26.75 crore), are case studies in how IPL auction dynamics don’t necessarily determine a player’s international career. Iyer, despite winning an IPL trophy as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders last year, doesn’t earn a spot in India’s T20I team, while Pant is second-choice wicketkeeper in ODIs. There’s tough competition for a T20I spot too.
Pant has forever been celebrated as the X-factor in Indian cricket. Yet, his white-ball career has struggled to take off. KL Rahul was first-choice wicketkeeper in the recent ICC Champions Trophy. Sanju Samson has shown evidence of his potential in the T20I format. Pant, meanwhile, had a gruelling Test season.
Chief national selector Ajit Agarkar had, before the Champions Trophy, indicated that Pant was the first-choice wicketkeeper but coach Gautam Gambhir said Pant must wait for his opportunity.
In such a scenario, this IPL is one of the most delicate phases in Pant’s career. Having become the captain of a new franchise, there will be different pressures and challenges. Former India selector Devang Gandhi feels Pant must forget the tag of being the most expensive IPL player. “Had he been retained by Delhi Capitals, he would not have been the most expensive player. This IPL is about putting his head down and giving himself the best chance to score a lot of runs,” Gandhi told TOI.
Pant has himself stated that his aim will always be to play for India and his endeavour is not let IPL become a distraction. “I never even thought about playing in the IPL. I think today, people are more focused on the IPL. I believe that if your goal is to play for your country, everything else will eventually fall into place,” Pant told IPL broadcasters.
Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta said, “When it comes to India’s white-ball cricket, things are still fluid. Rahul has strengthened his place in the ODI XI, but I don’t think Pant is too far off going by the sessions I have observed. Credit to Rahul that he managed to stay ahead of a player of Pant’s calibre.”
“The good thing about Gambhir is that he loves to give players a fair run and prefers continuity. Rahul did well when Pant was injured. But I do believe Gambhir will not let Pant go without giving a decent hit either,” Gandhi said. One may argue that Pant’s inconsistency in white-ball cricket stems from a lack of clarity about his role.
In 2022, before Pant had that near fatal accident, India used him at No. 4 in ODIs. He won the team a series in England with an unbeaten century. Head coach Rahul Dravid subsequently granted him an opening spot in T20Is immediately after the T20 WC in 2022 before using him at No. 3 in the 2024 T20 WC.
Going forward, there is a T20 World Cup early next year, followed by an ODI World Cup in late 2027. “Selectors think he is indispensable in Test cricket. That’s why he doesn’t get a decent run in white-ball formats because they need to preserve him,” Gandhi said. “Probably this year he should be given more game time in T20s than ODIs.”.
Gandhi reckons Pant’s strength lies in batting more overs and that should be his thinking in the IPL going forward. “He should open and give himself more time to make an impact on a game. When we picked him at 19, it was clear that he was at ease against extreme pace and very swift against the spinners. He should maximise that,” he said.
For Dasgupta, Pant needs to quickly shed the perception of him being a finisher in T20s. “The world knows him as a capable player at No. 5 and No. 6. He needs to prove that he is a quality top-order player as well. He should not be batting any lower than No. 3 for LSG this year,” Dasgupta said.
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