Veteran India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has heaped praise on Rishabh Pant’s Test batting prowess, saying the explosive left-hander could easily make it to the playing XI purely as a batter—even if he doesn’t don the gloves. However, Ashwin didn’t hold back from pointing out Pant’s occasional poor shot selection, which has landed him in trouble in the past. With the crucial five-Test series against England around the corner, Pant is expected to play a key role in India’s middle-order.
“Rishabh is a high-quality Test batter,” Ravichandran Ashwin told RevSportz. “He could walk into the team just as a batter. He has the pedigree. Yes, his shot selection can be questionable at times, but with him, it’s about match-winning intent. Once he figures out the right formula to be consistent, there’s no stopping him. I’d ideally want to see him batting at No. 5. No. 6 might be too late.”
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Pant, who is returning to Test cricket following an underwhelming IPL 2025 season while leading the Lucknow Super Giants, didn’t feature in the BCCI’s Day 1 highlights of the intra-squad game in Kent. The board confirmed that KL Rahul and captain Shubman Gill scored fifties, while Shardul Thakur impressed with the ball. Pant’s absence from the update raised a few eyebrows.
Ashwin also weighed in on Shubman Gill, who’s not only carrying the burden of run-scoring at the top but also the expectations of leadership as India’s new red-ball captain.
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“Gill’s got a tough job. The attention and pressure can be overwhelming,” Ravichandran Ashwin said. “In England, the conditions test you from ball one. If he gets a good start and scores runs, it’ll boost not only his confidence but also positively impact his captaincy.”
With the England series looming, both Pant and Gill will have a lot to prove—not just as talents, but as leaders of India’s new Test era.
