DC head coach teaches Gautam Gambhir how to deal with Rishabh Pant

Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Hemang Badani has given the India National Cricket Team head coach Gautam Gambhir a masterclass on handling the star wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant.

Hemang Badani believes that Gautam Gambhir should allow Rishabh Pant to play his natural attacking brand of cricket in the upcoming five-match Test series against the England National Cricket Team.

Rishabh Pant shouldn't change his style: Hemang Badani

The 27-year-old Pant will have an additional burden on his shoulders in the upcoming Anderson-Tendulkar trophy because he has been appointed as the vice-captain under Shubman Gill.

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During India's last Test series against Australia Down Under, Pant faced heavy criticism for his shot selections, and several cricket legends, including Sunil Gavaskar, lashed out at him for playing irresponsibly.

It will be interesting to see whether the star wicketkeeper-batsman makes any changes to his game in the England series and drops his aggressive approach, which has brought him immense success over the years.

If Hemang Badani is to be believed, Pant should refrain from doing that. The Delhi Capitals head coach said that the wicketkeeper-batsman should continue batting with his natural style and shouldn't change anything.

“I think he is somebody who has found the right balance of attacking stroke-making and defensive stroke-making in this cricket. So I don’t see any reason why you should try and change that," Badani told Hindustan Times.

It’s important that someone like Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, has a chat with him - Hemang Badani

Badani opined that the role of head coach Gautam Gambhir is very crucial as he should have a chat with Pant and give him a free hand to bat whichever way he wants to, without feeling the burden of vice-captaincy. He said:

“It’s important that someone like Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, has a chat with him and speaks to him and says, ‘Rishabh tu apna game khel.’ Don’t think too hard about captaincy, vice captaincy, you’re the second in command, none of that."

According to Hemang Badani, Pant's attacking style has worked well for him, and that thing will continue.

"There is a certain way that you’ve played over the years and that has worked well for you. And I think it will work well for us if he does that again, because he is a batter who comes to the bat at times when the second new ball is due," Badani added.

He needs to think like Rishabh Pant and nothing else - Hemang Badani

Badani, in the end, warned the Gautam Gambhir-led team management not to hold Pant back and allow him to bat with freedom; otherwise, he might struggle. He said:

"He needs to think like Rishabh Pant and nothing else. The management will have a massive say in this as to how free he is as a batter. And they should give him the freedom to go and bat with utmost positivity and not hold him back. Because the only challenge is that when you see a batter isn’t having the right balance, but he does have the right balance."

Overall, Rishabh Pant has scored 2948 runs in his Test career at an average of 42.11, and in England, he has scored 556 runs at an average of 32.70 in 9 matches.

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