IND vs SA: Sunil Gavaskar Reflects On Rishabh Pant's Struggles In The T20I Format Of The Game
Published - 14 Jun 2022, 03:58 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:08 AM
Sunil Gavaskar reflects on Rishabh Pant’s hardships in the T20I format of the game, saying that their standards of him have increased advance after his adventures in Test cricket over the last 18 months.
Pant was named the Indian team’s vice-captain for the South Africa tour of the India 2022 series. However, one day before the series’ first match, Pant was named captain after India’s skipper KL Rahul was ruled out due to injury.
Pant acquires a unique quality of proactivity and boldness, making him an important member of India’s T20I team. Nonetheless, his ideal position in a batting order has long been discussed.
Pant has batted at various positions in the IPL; in the most recent edition, Ponting batted Pant at No. 4 or 5, depending on the game situation. Pant was the team’s second-highest scorer after opener David Warner, with 340 runs at a strike rate of over 151.
Sunil Gavaskar addressed Rishabh Pant’s hardships:
Sunil Gavaskar addressed Rishabh Pant’s hardships in the T20I format, saying that after his achievements in Test cricket over the last 18 months, hopes for him have increased multifold.
“Look at his hitting capabilities in Test matches over the last 18 months or so; hopes have risen. However, he has had more time to calm down in Test matches. Here, he has not had the time, and thus, perhaps, the scoring ability. He is going to make up for it by increasing his scoring rate, has cost him his wicket,” Sunil Gavaskar continued.
“If the ball hits the middle of the bat, it ends up going out of the boundary; if it doesn’t, you get it. It is almost as if you live and die by the sword,” Sunil Gavaskar continued.
Pant has only scored 34 runs in two T20Is so far in this series. Pant’s T20I statistics have been dismal, with the wicketkeeper-batter scoring 717 runs in 45 games at an average of less than 24 and a strike rate of less than 130.
Also Read: IND vs SA: Avesh Khan Will Have To Make Way For Arshdeep Singh In Third T20I – Parthiv Patel
