He has been recently appointed as the vice-captain of India in Tests.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has slammed Rishabh Pant for his impulsive shot selections against Australia in the latest Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series 2024-25. He criticised Pant’s temperament to hit every other ball for a boundary in that tour. However, Ganguly praised the southpaw’s defence game and hoped to see more of it in the upcoming tour against England.
“I did not like what I saw of him in Australia. Too many shots. Just too many shots. He was just swinging at every ball, and that’s not how you bat in conditions where the ball was moving around a bit. He needs to show fight. He has a very good defence. That’s what I want to see,” he said to RevSportz.
Notably, the 27-year-old has been appointed recently as the vice-captain of India. The team is going through a transition period after the sudden Test retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and is all set to witness a new dawn under youngster Shubman Gill’s leadership.
The former Bengal skipper advised Pant to put up a fight and stick to the pitch. He urged the wicketkeeper-batter to realise the price of his wicket and not to throw it away to the opposition easily. However, Ganguly also acknowledged the southpaw’s attacking mindset and suggested him play according to the situation.
“I want him to fight and grind down. Be ugly. Look ugly. But don’t swing at every ball and give it away. I know he is a stroke-maker and that’s his strength, but then he will have to adapt and play accordingly,” he added.
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Moreover, the former BCCI president has predicted the English side to come out as the winners of this home series against India. The 52-year-old revealed that he might be present to witness the action unfold at the Edgbaston, in the second Test, or at the Lord’s Stadium, where the third match will be played.
“England are a better side in these conditions. But if India bat well and bat tough, and if they use Bumrah well, they will have a chance. Look, I will come back to watch Edgbaston or Lord’s, and that’s because I believe they have a chance,” stressed the former batter.
Since his debut against England in 2018, the youngster has scored 2,948 runs in 43 red-ball matches. Pant’s run-tally also includes six centuries, half of which has come against England, whom he will face in his first assignment as the vice-captain of India. Notably, he was one of the stars of India’s famous BGT retention with a young squad in 2021. However, the 27-year-old couldn’t replicate his performance in the latest BGT edition.
He managed to put up only 255 runs in five matches at a poor average of 28.33. India lost the series 3-1 even after securing an early lead in the first test. Furthermore, he has endured a lean patch in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The fans will hope to see a comeback from the gloveman on English soil after entering the leadership circuit. India will take on England for a five-match Test series, starting on June 20 in Headingley.
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