Rishabh Pant's form continues to be inconsistent in India vs SA

Rishabh Pant, 21-year-old batsman, is currently India's go-to wicket-keeper and number four batsman. Often touted as MS Dhoni's successor, Pant has big shoes to fill as his batting needs to be consistent for him to maintain a place in playing XI. Pant's career in limited-overs cricket has been subject to a lot of criticism as explosive left-hander has t been able to contribute much to Indian team. Expert opinions on his batting style have been mixed so far.

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Young talent that needs to be fostered

Rishabh Pant in his last 10 T20 innings has scored a paltry 149 runs at an aver of 18.625. His highest score has been 65 and is definitely t reflective of talent he has. By contrast, Rishabh's highest score in IPL is 128* which he made against formidable bowling lineup of Sunrisers Hyderabad as a 20-year-old in 2018. His ODI stats have t been too impressive eir, as wicket-keeper/batsman has only scored 229 runs in his 10 ODI innings with his highest score being 48. 

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India's coach, Ravi Shastri, recently said that Pant's careless shot selection would be penalised and his talent would t bar him from being reprimanded. Gautam Gambhir came out in Pant's support and said that more people need to make Pant feel 'wanted' in team. Gauti implied that it was mostly about Pant's mindset and that was something that needed to be fostered. Chief Selector MSK Prasad commented that re is some patience needed as Rishabh Pant develops into India's primary wicket-keeper/batsman.

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Shoes too big to fill?

It is being pointed out that Rishabh Pant replacing a legend like MS Dhoni may be creating a lot of pressure on 21-year-old's mind. His shot selection and alleged irresponsibility has been criticised by experts and fans alike. Fans criticised Pant for getting out irresponsibly in 2019 Cricket World Cup semi-final that India lost to New Zealand. VVS Laxman commented that Pant should maybe drop himself down order to ease pressure on himself. VVS supported his statement by saying that Pant is an aggressive batsman by nature and maybe number four is t allowing him to express himself way he would want to. tactics Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri use with Pant will w be revealed when India host Bangladesh in T20 series in vember. 

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