Rishabh Pant (Image credit: LSG/IPL) NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant’s IPL 2025 campaign read: 13 matches, 269 runs at an average of 24.45. He struggled to find runs, lost his wicket playing rash shots and faced criticism. His form will once again be in the limelight when Lucknow Super Giants begin their IPL 2026 campaign. Pants-led LSG are set to face Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Stadium on April 1.Will he find his form this time?
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RCB’s big changes ahead of IPL: New rules, tribute and squad updateFormer India opener Aakash Chopra believes Pant is paying the price for playing unorthodox and risky strokes.“The scrutiny surrounding Rishabh Pant is justified. He is a prisoner of his own reputation of playing unorthodox strokes and rarely tries to shine when the situation calls for it. Last season, despite opportunities to take time out and regain his form, he continued to play risky strokes, which drew criticism,” Chopra said on JioHotstar.“Having been part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning team in Barbados, he is now completely out of the conversation for the national side. The selectors and management have gone from picking a middle-order wicketkeeper to an opener and a wicketkeeper who can bat at three. While the IPL is massive, representing India remains the top priority and losing that spot for him means it’s time to go back to the draw.Chopra also revealed that former India head coach Rahul Dravid did not like Pant’s batting approach.“Sometimes we don’t understand what Rishabh Pant brings to the table and how he sees the development of the game. In Test cricket, he had talks with Rahul Dravid when he was the head coach. Rahul bhai was not too happy with Pant’s batting approach. To give credit where it’s due, Pant sees the game very differently than most of us who see it conventionally.Pant was seen taking over from former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh ahead of IPL 2026.Chopra believes Pant’s arrival to Yuvraj is a positive sign.“The most encouraging thing for me is his acceptance that he needs to change his game. He needs to look for a plan. Something is not going right. He knows he is that good. The fact that he has turned to Yuvraj Singh for help shows that he recognizes that he needs guidance, help and assistance. That is a great sign. With the quality, talent and skill that he has, it is not a fool’s errand,” he said.
