Former India World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh has said that Rishabh Pant is determined to overcome his recent white-ball batting issues and work his way back into India’s limited-overs plans.
Pant’s last appearance for India in white-ball cricket came in August 2024 during the Sri Lanka tour, which featured three ODIs and three T20Is. He played only three matches in the series and scored 57 runs.
He was also included in India’s squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy, which the team won, but he did not feature in a single game, as KL Rahul remained the preferred wicketkeeper-batter.
“He is someone who is focused on progressing in his cricket and improving. He’s determined to perform well and make his way back into the white-ball format,” Yuvraj said in a podcast with Sports Tak.
Pant, the most expensive player in IPL history, was seen working on his batting and temperament with Yuvraj in Mumbai.
“If I can help him mentally, I believe he’ll be in a much better place. And I truly feel he is in a better space now, so this IPL, you will definitely witness a different Rishabh Pant,” he added.
Yuvraj, who was named Player of the Tournament in India’s 2011 World Cup triumph, has previously guided several current Indian stars, including Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill as well as openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. According to Yuvraj, his mentoring style is based less on technical aspect and more on spending time understanding a player’s mindset.
Speaking about Pant, Yuvraj said he spent several days with him.
Pant’s difficulties in white-ball cricket have been evident for some time. In the previous IPL season, while captaining Lucknow Super Giants, he scored only one century and one half-century. He finished at an average of 24.45 and a strike rate above 133. In India’s victorious 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, he made 171 runs in eight innings, averaging 24.42 with a strike rate of 127.61.
Pant is expected to return to action in the IPL when his side faces Sunrisers Hyderabad on 5 April.
Comments are closed.