Former Indian cricketer turned coach Ashish Nehra said that Rishabh Pant will himself be disappointed with his T20I career so far considering his below-par shows. According to the veteran, Pant has played quite a number of games for India in the format, without producing good results as well.
Pant, 24, was appointed as captain of the Indian team for the T20I series against South Africa. The series ended 2-2 after the decider one in Bengaluru was washed out on Sunday. Analyzing Pant’s batting woes against the Proteas, Nehra told Cricbuzz: “It is not like Rishabh Pant targets only left-arm spinners. If he feels he can take on off-spinners like Moeen Ali or Liam Livingstone, he will do that as well. It is just the way he plays, be it T20s or Tests. But yes, he himself will be disappointed with his T20I numbers. It is not like we are talking about 10 to 15 innings. He has also batted at No.3, 4 and 5.”
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Rishabh Pant has scored 740 runs in 47 T20I matches which came at an average of 23.12 and a strike rate of 123.95. While talking about his performance, former India player Parthiv Patel has also shared his views.
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“I don’t think it’s a question of ego. When a left-hander faces a left-arm spinner, he always feels he can hit him. It is a match-up, just like you bring an off-spinner against a left-hander to get him out. But selecting the right ball is very important. As a batter plays more cricket, the opposition plans against him – where they can get him out. During the IPL as well, teams targeted him outside the off stump. He could make a tactical adjustment by, maybe, taking an off stump guard to get closer to the ball,” he further added about Rishabh Pant.