Rishabh Pant’s travails: ‘The reasons appear layered — physical, technical and mental,’ says coach Zubin Bharucha
Pant is no longer the vice-captain of the Test team. (PC: BCCI)
That Rishabh Pant has failed to replicate his Test exploits in white-ball cricket is well documented. In 49 Tests, he has 3,476 runs, including eight centuries and 18 half-centuries, at an average of 42.91. In 31 ODIs, on the other hand, he has 871 runs (including a solitary hundred) at an average of 33.50. In 76 T20Is, he has scored 1,209 runs at an average of 23.25 and a strike-rate of 127.26.
Pant has failed to crack the white-ball code, but more than the hard numbers, he no longer looks the batsman of yore. The ongoing IPL, where he has scored 286 runs from 12 innings at an average of 28.60 and a strike-rate of 140.19 for Lucknow Super Giants, has attested to his struggles. After being peripheral to India’s 50-over set-up for two years, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has now dropped him from the squad for the upcoming three ODIs against Afghanistan. RevSportz spoke to renowned coach Zubin Bharucha, who helped shape the careers of Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yash Raj Punja and Ashok Sharma to understand the technical and mental sides of Pant’s travails. Excerpts:
On Pant not hitting his straps over a longish period
“Often when a player struggles over a sustained period, it is rarely down to one issue alone. More often, it becomes a combination of technical, physical and mental factors. That appears to be the case with Rishabh Pant as well.”
Is he generating the same kind of power in his shots that he used to?
“I still remember his earliest days at the then Delhi Capitals, when he arrived from U-19 cricket as an opener. What immediately stood out was a level of power we weren’t quite accustomed to at that stage of T20 cricket. Back then, one of the key questions teams were trying to solve was how to reduce risk through the middle phase of an innings. Rishabh felt like a natural answer to that problem.
“Even though he had made his early inroads in junior cricket as an opener, in practice games and some of his initial IPL matches, he didn’t appear naturally suited to the role. Instead, it quickly became obvious that his greatest impact would come down the order.”
Where has the freedom against spin gone?
“He (Pant) was a masterful player of spin, possessing not only the power to clear the boundary at will, but also the control to minimise risk. He could go deep in his crease and cut with authority, beat deep cover along the ground, sweep for four, and score freely on both sides of the wicket. That ability to access all areas of the field made him exceptionally difficult to bowl to.”
On what is ailing Pant now
“Fast forward to today, and we see clear challenges. There is a visible struggle to score consistently on the off side and a reduced ability to clear the boundary straight down the ground. The reasons appear layered, physical, technical and mental restrictions all seem to play a part.”
On technical issues
“Technically, the limitations are the clearest. His inability to maintain control of the bat stands out; the number of times the bat comes out of his hands is unusual for a top-level batter. It is more commonly seen in junior cricket, when players are still settling into their grips and learning how to transfer force efficiently.
“The central issue appears to stem from the positioning of his bottom hand on the handle, which is rotated well beyond a neutral grip. This makes it extremely difficult to close the face of the bat at impact. As a result, even when he attempts to hit towards wide mid-on or mid-wicket, he is forced to present a straighter bat face, whereas most players would naturally be able to close the face slightly and access wide long-on or midwicket with greater power.
“That one technical detail has a significant effect on almost all of his shot-making and, consequently, on his ability to access different parts of the ground. The inability to hit cleanly down the ground, particularly to clear the fence, forces him to search for alternative scoring options. This is where you now see him repeatedly moving around the crease, especially shuffling across to scoop or shovel the ball over short fine leg, one of the few areas that still allows him relatively low-risk access to boundaries.”
On mental roadblocks
“Naturally, when a player feels they are not meeting their own potential, mental frustration follows. That frustration often clouds clarity, both in approach and decision-making. At the elite level, progress often begins with the willingness to confront uncomfortable truths about your own game. That now feels like an important step in Rishabh’s development journey, along with deep reflection and focused work.”
On Pant’s lack of evolution
“The physical aspect is harder to judge from the outside. Only Rishabh will truly know the lasting effects, if any, of his accident and recovery process. But observationally, it does feel as though there has been a lack of evolution — technically, and perhaps even in the broader development of his game away from the field as well.
“Anticipating your blind spots and having the humility to confront them is one of the defining traits of elite sport. Perhaps this is Rishabh’s next frontier, and if he can navigate it, there remains every reason to believe his best cricket still lies ahead of him.”
For latest sports updates: Follow RevSportz
