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Syed Kirmani criticizes Rishabh Pant’s temperament after India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh. The keeper-batter, who is known for an attacking mindset while batting, often attracted a lot of backlashes because of his approach.
The former Chairman of the National Selection Committee, Syed Kirmani, is also among the persons who raised questions over Rishabh Pant’s batting tendency. Kirmani suggests the southpaw perform with the bat sensibly.
Rishabh Pant left his mark against Afghanistan
Against Afghanistan, Rishabh Pant did a decent job with his batting work. He came to bat as the number 5 batter and scored 81 runs from 121 balls. During the course, he smashed six 4s and three 4s. Pant helped the team to register the mammoth total of 564 runs in the first innings, which allowed the home team to claim a massive win over the visitors by an innings and 300 runs.
Notably, throughout his career with the national cricket team, Rishabh Pant has more boundaries in Tests than in the other two formats. While the batter hit 111 fours and 44 maximums in 66 T20I innings, there are 378 fours and 96 sixes during 87 innings in Tests.
Pant is recognised as the X-Factor of India's Test team
Because of his unpredictable batting style, Rishabh Pant is still considered one of the X-factors and an exciting talent in the Indian Test cricket team. Last year, when India traveled to England for the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy, Pant played a critical role.
There were some moments of brilliance by the middle-order batter, but in the way he lost most of the wickets in the format, he became a talking point. Even when the team needed him the most in the middle, he was not shy to take the aerial routes, which allowed the opposing sides to find him off-guard.
Kirmani says that Rishabh Pant will have to work hard on his fitness, consistency, and temperament. The former India keeper-batter brutally criticizes Pant’s temperament. According to the former selector, Rishabh Pant’s temperament is vulnerable and turbulent.
His temperament is very vulnerable, turbulent: Syed Kirmani
The 76-year-old mentions that no one borns hitter. A batter’s duty is to act according to the situation and the demands of the conditions of a match.
“Rishabh has to work hard on his physical fitness, consistency, and temperament. His temperament is very vulnerable, turbulent. No player can say, 'I am a born hitter, I have to hit every ball. You might have that particular day when you get rid of every ball you want to hit. But you have to look into the circumstances, what format you are playing, and what the team wants you to do,” Kirmani told the news agency PTI.
Syed Kirmani said : "Rishabh has to work hard on his physical fitness, consistency and temperament. His temperament is very vulnerable, turbulent. No player can say 'I am a born hitter, I have to hit every ball'. You might have that particular day when you get rid of every ball… pic.twitter.com/dnI9KDTabv
— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952) June 11, 2026
Notably, ahead of the one-off Test, the national selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, took the leadership role from Pant. He was the vice-captain in the format. Ahead of the Afghanistan series, the selectors appointed Pant only as a keeper-batter and appointed KL Rahul as the deputy of the skipper, Shubman Gill.
