New Delhi: Former Indian batsman… Cheteshwar Pujara has admitted that he finds it “very surprising”. Rishabh Pant He has not been able to dominate the IPL the way he has triumphed in Test cricket, saying the wicketkeeper-batsman’s T20 numbers do not reflect his immense talent.Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Speaking as an expert on JioHotstar CTV Hindi feed, Pujara said that Pant is one of the best all-format batsmen in the country but believes that clarity of thought and mindset issues are holding him back in T20 cricket.“I am also very surprised because someone like Rishabh Pant who can attack any bowler in Test cricket and its IPL, when we just look at the stats, it is not that good in Test cricket,” Pujara said while interacting with reporters on Wednesday.
Pant’s contrast between formats has quickly become a talking point. While he is India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in Tests, he is no longer part of the T20I set-up and is currently behind KL Rahul in the ODI pecking order.In 49 Tests, Pant has scored 3476 runs with eight centuries and 18 fifties, including memorable centuries in England, Australia and South Africa. In comparison, his IPL numbers – 3757 runs from 134 matches with two centuries at a strike rate of 146 – are considered paltry for a batsman of his stature.
‘It’s more about mindset than technique’
Pujara insisted that Pant does not need major technical changes but needs more clarity in his approach during T20 innings.“I think it’s a mindset thing as well. There has to be a bit more clarity in the way Rishabh plays,” Pujara explained.“Technically, I don’t see much change in Rishabh’s batting. It’s just the mindset.”According to Pujara, Pant looks more confident about his scoring fields in Test cricket than in T20.“It’s also clarity of thought, clarity on when he needs to bat and what kind of shots he should play because in Test cricket, he knows these are his areas and even if the field is fenced, he picks the right pockets to hit the shots,” he said.The veteran batsman also pointed to the potential range in Pant’s white-ball game.“In the T20 format, he is a bit more dominant on the leg side where he will have to work on his game on the off side which will allow him to be more successful,” added Pujara.
Is the burden of captaincy affecting Pant?
Pujara also questioned whether the pressure of captaincy could affect Pant’s performance in the IPL.“We have seen that the captaincy is not helping them much,” Pujara said. “Especially in Rishabh Pant’s case, if he is focusing more on his game, it will definitely help him.”However, Pujara maintained that the final decision rested with Pant and the franchise management.“Will Rishabh Pant perform better if he plays as a player? If so, I believe he should, but it’s always a personal thing,” he added.Pujara also defended. Surya Kumar Yadav Amid criticism of inconsistency in T20 cricket, it is said that impact matters more than statistics in the format.“Consistency is highly valued in the T20 format,” Pujara said.
