File photo of Rishabh Pant.© AFP
India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is going through a tough time. The player stepped down as Lucknow Super Giants captain in the Indian Premier League after yet another poor season with the franchise. At the international level, he lost India’s Test vice-captaincy. It is worth noting that Pant is part of the Indian team only in the longest format, and there as well, he has lost his role to KL Rahul as the team prepares to take on Afghanistan in a one-off Test match starting June 6 in Mullanpur.
Former India batsman Aakash Chopra believes that the decision of the BCCI selection committee to remove Pant as the Test vice-captain is wrong. He explained that the player has been penalized for not performing in other formats.
“Rishabh Pant will have to score runs as he has been demoted. For no rhyme or reason, he has been demoted. His stats are excellent but because he has not performed well in other formats, he has been penalised,” said Chopra in a video on his Youtube channel.
Despite losing the vice-captaincy of India’s Test side, Pant continues to remain a vital part of the team’s red-ball plans, according to India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.
“I don’t think you need a formal title to be a leader in a lead set-up like this. I think Rishabh understands that, and I think he’s committed to being a good role model and a senior player,” the assistant coach said ahead of Afghanistan Test.
“With Rishabh’s brilliance, we don’t want to take away all the stuff that he does. Occasionally, if he can adjust his game to play the situation slightly more, I think that’s something you’ll see him work on. But he’s been in great spirits again. He’s one of those guys who’s happy and cheerful and drives the spirit in the team. We’ve got no complaints from him. You wouldn’t even notice that his role in the leadership structure. has changed. So, no concerns about Rishabh, and I can’t wait to see him back again,” he added.
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