IPL 2020: ‘He is confused about his role’ – Aakash Chopra explains why Rishabh Pant is struggling


IPL 2020: ‘He is confused about his role’ – Aakash Chopra explains why Rishabh Pant is struggling
Rishabh Pant

Delhi Capitals’ (DC) wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has had a below-par Indian Premier League so far. The explosive left-hand batter has scored just 285 runs in 12 matches for his side. He hasn’t been able to score a single 50 or a match-winning knock for his side. His strike-rate over the course of this season has been just 109 which is in sheer contrast to his striker rates of 162 and 173 in the last two years.

Against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Qualifier-1 yesterday, Pant came in when DC were struggling at 20-4. While there were expectation that Pant might finally come good in this year’s IPL, he holed out to long-on when he was on 3 off Krunal Pandya’s bowling. It was his trademark heave that led to his downfall. Although on initial viewing, it looked like Pant had gotten hold of the shot, it turned out that he hadn’t connected it well. DC ultimately lost the match by 57 runs.

‘He is unsure’ – Aakash Chopra

Akash-Chopra-IPL
Aakash Chopra

Writing for ESPNCricinfo, former India batsman Aakash Chopra said that Pant may be finding it hard to figure out his role in the team. “Going back to Pant – he comes across as someone who is confused about his role and his responsibilities towards his own game. I’m not talking about what the team or the situation demands of him but just his comfort with his own style of play,” Chopra said.

“His last couple of Test matches and this edition of the IPL have brought that uncertainty to the fore. He is blessed with the ability to hit the ball long and hard, but it seems that he is unsure of the right time to do so,” he added.

Chopra said that Pant has failed to make use of the ample opportunities he has got in this year’s IPL. “There have been instances in this IPL where left-arm spinners have come and gone unscathed. The bowlers he wouldn’t allow to settle down in the past have kept him quiet this season because he chose to let the moment pass and wait for a better, more opportune moment.

“Pant was Pant because he could change the tide, but now he’s trying to swim with it and by the time he thinks about changing it, it’s a little too late,” Chopra wrote.

Chopra then added that Pant needs to clear his own doubts and bring out his vintage self. “It’s time for Pant to clear the cobwebs and spend more time with his own game, understanding its nuances.

“He is the same player who everyone thought had the X-Factor, he is the same player who was seen as a natural successor to Dhoni, and he is the same player who produced consistent performances at high strike rates in T20 cricket. He is the same player because you don’t lose these skills overnight,” he wrote.

“Pant has entered the second stage of his career. This phase is about understanding and acquiring. The sooner he does that, the better for him and for Indian cricket,” Chopra signed off.

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