Rishabh Pant has begun an intense training block under former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh in Mumbai as the wicketkeeper-batter looks to revive his white-ball career ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, which begins on March 28. A video from the practice session has already gone viral on social media, showing Pant facing deliveries in the nets while Yuvraj stands near the umpire’s position, carefully observing his technique and offering regular guidance.
The brief training camp reportedly focused not only on refining Pant’s batting skills but also on improving his overall fitness and match temperament — two crucial elements for modern white-ball cricket.
According to a report by Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), Pant was eager to work closely with Yuvraj for a few days to sharpen his game before the start of the IPL season. Sources close to the development revealed that the left-hander has been working extremely hard on both his batting and physical conditioning.
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Observers have also noted that Pant appears leaner in recent training clips, indicating his renewed focus on fitness. The sessions were held at the iconic Cricket Club of India ground before Pant travelled to Chennai to join the Lucknow Super Giants’ pre-season camp. The team is expected to hold another training camp in Lucknow ahead of the tournament.
Interestingly, the short stint with Yuvraj was not designed solely for T20 preparation. Pant is reportedly keen to strengthen his overall white-ball game to remain a consistent option for India in limited-overs cricket over the next few years.
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Pant, who currently captains Lucknow Super Giants, made headlines when he became the most expensive player in IPL history after signing a ₹27 crore deal with the franchise. However, the explosive batter has not played competitive cricket since suffering a side strain just before India’s ODI series against the New Zealand national cricket team in Vadodara earlier this year.
The 26-year-old endured a difficult IPL 2025 campaign, scoring 269 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 133.16 — his lowest return since his IPL debut in 2016. Despite a brilliant unbeaten 118 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final league game, Lucknow finished seventh on the points table.
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Meanwhile, Yuvraj has quietly built a reputation as a mentor in recent years. The 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup hero has worked with several emerging Indian players, including Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh. He also briefly mentored Sanju Samson, who went on to become Player of the Tournament during India’s recent T20 World Cup triumph.
Currently India’s second-choice ODI wicketkeeper behind KL Rahul, Pant faces stiff competition in the T20 format from Samson and Ishan Kishan. With IPL 2026 approaching, the dynamic left-hander will be determined to rediscover his best form and lead Lucknow Super Giants’ push for a stronger campaign.
