Rishabh Pant’s talent is getting wasted: Kirti Azad

Kirti Azad, the former Indian cricketer, reckons that India are not making optimum utilisation of Rishabh Pant’s talent. Pant made his international debut way back in February 2017, but started playing regular since India’s Test series against England in 2018. In the same year, he made his ODI debut against the West Indies. He also made the World Cup squad, though as a replacement.

Azad, who played seven Tests and 25 ODIs for Team India, said that Pant is “impulsive” and his batting prowess can easily transcend his keeping abilities. The 61-year-old also stated that the youngster from Uttarakhand needs to keep a calm head, taking into account the format he is playing in.

“He is very impulsive. I think he can turn out to be a very good batsman than keeper. And, if he keeps his head cool, the question is that he wants to hit every ball, you are not playing T20 cricket when you are playing a 50-overs game or a Test match,” Azad was quoted as saying in Sportskeeda.

I feel sorry for Rishabh Pant, says Azad

Azad, whose career spanned six years from 1980 to 1986, reckons that Pant needs to value his wicket more in order to score runs frequently at the highest level. “You have to learn to stay at the wicket. If you stay at the wicket, the runs are going to come to you,” Azad mentioned.

Azad didn’t mince any words in saying that the 22-year-old Pant’s talent is being wasted. “Some good ball takes your wicket, I can understand, but if you hit a big shot and get out, which has happened most of the times as far as Rishabh Pant is concerned, I feel sorry because he is a great talent getting wasted,” he stated.

Earlier, Mohammad Kaif, another former Indian batsman, said that Pant needs to be given clarity on his batting position. “Rishabh Pant is a free-flowing player. You have to set his batting position, that he will bat at this position and he will get this many overs to play,” Kaif had said.

In 13 Tests, 16 ODIs and 28 T20Is, Pant has scored 814, 374 and 410 runs respectively with a couple of centuries and five fifties.