Rishabh Pant Given Unfiltered Warning: "Modify Game Or Risk Getting Dropped"
Rishabh Pant hasn't played a white-ball game for India in over a year.
- Rishabh Pant debuted for India in 2018 and is currently active only in Test matches
- Pant has shown match-winning performances but lacks the consistency expected by the team
- Former spinner Amit Mishra advised Pant to "modify his game or risk being dropped"
One of the finest talents in the country, a popular face among fans, yet Rishabh Pant hasn't achieved the heights in his career that he would've desired at the age of 28. Since making his debut for India in 2018, Pant has produced some incredible match-winning performances, especially in the whites, but hasn't shown the consistency the team expects from him. At present, Pant remains an active part of the Indian team only in Tests, with opportunities in ODIs and T20Is being limited.
As Pant looks to navigate this phase of his career, former India spinner Amit Mishra has urged him to "modify his game" or risk getting dropped from the team.
"I have very high expectations from Rishabh Pant. Given the kind of player he is, he will also have to modify his game. Now, you can't really call him a youngster anymore - he has been in the team since 2018. That's what I'm saying: after a certain point in time, it becomes very important to modify your game," Mishra said during a chat on the Men XP podcast.
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"The opposition teams are watching you closely. They are observing you, understanding your game, and planning against you - where you hit fast bowling, which balls you don't attack, they notice everything. So you also need to be aware of that. You can't keep saying, 'I got out the same way again here.' That's something you must avoid," Mishra added.
Pant has often been criticised of throwing away his wickets by playing reckless shots. On multiple occasions, he got dismissed trying to execute similar shots without learning from past mistakes. Mishra, hence, has warned Pant that a change in his approach and batting style is a must at this stage of his career.
"If a particular shot doesn't work on a certain pitch, then don't play it. You can't insist on saying, 'This is how I play, this is my game.' Then go ahead and do it - you will do it for four or five matches more and eventually get dropped. You can't expect it to work everywhere. You won't get the same kind of wicket everywhere where you can keep hitting fours and sixes. At some places, you'll get turning tracks; at others, there will be bounce or swing. How you handle those conditions - that's up to you," he said.
Rishabh Pant
Amit Mishra