Zaheer Khan takes bold stand against Sunil Gavaskar’s criticism of Rishabh Pant

Former Indian pace legend Zaheer Khan voiced against the philosophy of Sunil Gavaskar to play according to the situation, not just follow his instincts, as he was addressing the criticism Rishabh Pant faced for his risky shot selections in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

In a bold take on how to handle criticism and pressure, Zaheer Khan strongly defended Rishabh Pant's approach to batting despite heavy criticism for reckless shots. Sunil Gavaskar had ranted, “stupid, stupid, stupid,” after the Indian wicketkeeper-batter lost his wicket due to an unorthodox shot on Day 3 of the fourth Test in Melbourne.

Zaheer Khan defends Rishabh Pant's instinctive batting despite heavy criticism from Sunil Gavaskar

Reacting to Gavaskar’s sharp attack on Pant, the former Indian pacer felt the criticism was just unwarranted. Zaheer believes that not just Rishabh Pant, but every player should be given the freedom to back their instincts and play their natural game.

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Zaheer Khan was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz: “When it comes to batting, I'm going to give not only Rishabh but every batter in that squad the freedom. And back their instinct. Everyone has played the game at different levels for long enough time to know how the game unfolds.”

Meanwhile, Zaheer, who will work with Pant at the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL 2025, has stressed that his philosophy is all about simplifying the decision-making process and playing with the team’s goalkeeping in mind. He reiterated that decisions should come from instinct.

Zaheer Khan calls for freedom and simplicity in decision-making

The former Indian pacer has pointed out that a win or loss is a collective result in the game of cricket, so the key to success lies in trusting the players to make decisions in real time and giving them the much-needed freedom to the players to express themselves on the field without fear of judgment.

Zaheer Khan believes that freedom is the most important element in the game for growth and achieving success. He urged the players to trust their instincts and stay true to the moment, no matter how much their call receives criticism.

Zaheer signed off by saying, “My philosophy is about the game being played on the field, and in that moment, you want to take the decision. And the decision-making shouldn't be confused. It should be done with simplicity and instinct at that stage, keeping the team's goal in mind. You are collectively winning and collectively losing. So, when you are playing a team sport, you are just going with what the team requires you to do in that situation. That freedom everyone will have.”

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Rishabh Pant set to return in Indian colors against England

Notably, Rishabh Pant had a tough time during India’s recent Test tour of Australia. The left-handed batter scored only 255 runs at an average of just 28.33 in the five matches, for which many blamed his shot selection. He managed to strike only fifty in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

The Indian wicketkeeper will be next seen in action in the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, starting on February 6, followed by the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai.