Rishabh Pant is in the 10th year of his international cricket career. It has continuously inspired heated debates over these nine years. She also misses not being a part of the Indian team. Last week, when videos surfaced of Pant practicing in Mumbai and Chennai, he stormed social media feeds, barely days after India became the first team to defend the T20 World Cup title. This could be a defining year for Pant starting with the IPL. He has not been a significant part of India’s white-ball team since winning the T20 World Cup in June 2024. In fact, he played only two T20Is and one ODI after Gautam Gambhir took over as the head coach of the Indian team. He has been the backup wicketkeeper in the ODI setup. As India begin preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, a good IPL could put them ahead of the favourites. Ishan Kishan And Sanju Samson.
After recovering from a side strain in the second week of January, he has been traveling the country to find the best quality practice sessions. Pant’s preparations go beyond just winning his place in India’s white-ball XI or fighting to justify the tag of being the most expensive player in the IPL. With whom he spent four intense days. Yuvraj Singh In Mumbai, he seems to be following in the footsteps of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Unlike Samson, who went to revive his technique ahead of the T20 World Cup, Pant approached Yuvraj to clear the cobwebs from his mind. Pant and Yuvraj have had a strong bond over the years. But the relationship runs deep since Pant survived a horrific car accident in December 2022. Both have touched death and returned to field for India when few gave them a chance to lead a normal life. They share a common outlook on life. For Pant, spending time with Yuvraj was more about convincing himself about his approach than just working on the technical aspects of the game. Those who followed Pant when he endlessly warmed the benches with India’s white-ball team will tell you that he puts himself through punishing training sessions – in the nets and off the field. Lucknow Supergiants recently posted a video of 21-year-old batsman Mukul Chaudhary waiting for almost two hours for Pant to come out of the net. Soham Desai, India’s former strength and conditioning coach, recounted how Pant used to drag him to the gym whenever he was free, regardless of workload management programs over the past year. ICC Champions Trophy In Dubai Former national selector Devang Gandhi, who was part of the committee that fast-tracked Pant, pointed out that Pant has the ability to bounce back from difficult situations. “He has always been under intense scrutiny. But he has made a surprising comeback. He helped India win the Test series in Australia in 2020-21 when he was asked to warm the bench for most of the tour. He had a cracking IPL after coming back from his accident before making India’s T20 World Cup squad in 2024. And then after a tough series in Australia and a mediocre IPL, he clinched a brilliant Test series in England last year. These are indications that Pant is very strong mentally,” Gandhi told TOI. Pant can be expected to bat at No. 3 for LSG this season after enduring a forgettable season last year. Pant’s decision to bat in the middle order surprised experts as Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid used him at number one. 3 in the T20 World Cup. “He faces more balls in an innings. I hope he can eliminate the risks that come with playing reverse sweeps and fancy ramps. He has a solid technique and can play maximum pace and bounce in India. That’s what you will look for against top-class pace in South African conditions. Yuvraj will obviously help him,” Gandhi said. Pant has had time off to work on his cricket and is fresh for the IPL, a luxury for an Indian cricketer. Preparations have been made. It depends on India executing and reclaiming its place in the white-ball setup.
