Don’t ignore Rishabh Pant: Ex-pacer warns selectors ahead of ODI World Cup 2027

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has issued an early warning to the national selectors ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, urging them not to permanently close the door on Rishabh Pant despite the highly-missed batsman missing the wicket in the latest white-ball setup.

Talking to JioHotstar on the eve of key India three-match ODI series against Afghanistanwhich marks the official start of a two-year build-up cycle for the spectacular event in South Africa, Pathan stressed that while Pant has slipped down the pecking order, his white-ball international career is far from over. The explosive left-hander’s exclusion follows a sustained period of lean form in the shorter formats.

Pant’s struggles have been magnified during back-to-back stunning Indian Premier League (IPL) campaigns for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Bought for a record Rs 27 crore, he struggled to find consistency with the bat, managing just 312 runs in 14 matches during the 2026 season as LSG finished bottom of the table. The mounting pressure finally culminated in Pant requests to step down as franchise captain.

However, the dynamic southpaw gave a stark reminder of his undisputed origins in red-ball cricket a few days ago. Playing in the one-off Test against Afghanistan at New Chandigarh, Pant found refuge from his limited-overs nightmare as he hit a mature, strike-packed 81 off 121 balls. The innings, punctuated by his trademark brashness mixed with calculated restraint, showed that his match-winning abilities remain firmly intact.

“LEARN FROM ISHAN KISHAN”

Pathan believes Pant needs to channel the frustration of his ODI slump and look to teammates who have successfully negotiated a domestic path back to national recognition.

“KL Rahul is India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman in ODIs. He has done well at number five and six. He is an all-rounder,” Pathan said.

“As a back-up, the selectors have brought in Ishan Kishan. Ishan can bat higher up the order and play the short ball well square from the wicket. That’s a smart pick. So Rahul and Ishan are the two wicket-keeper batsmen right now. Sanju Samson should be third in the order. Whenever he got a chance, he delivered. We saw that in the T20 World Cup.”

“Now for Rishabh Pant, I suggest the selectors not to ignore him completely. Yes, he has been lagging behind in white ball cricket. His form has not been great. But look at Ishan Kishan. He was also out of the team but he used it as a motivation. He played domestic cricket, performed well and led Jharkhand to get a working captain from Syed Rishab Mushta and the inspiration should be Syed Rishab Mushta. Harsh, he shouldn’t. losing hope of a comeback in white-ball cricket.”

Pant last played ODI cricket for India in August 2024. He was part of the Champions Trophy squad that won the 2025 title, but warmed the benches during the campaign.

Apart from the wicket issues, Pathan also dismissed speculation surrounding the automatic selection of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the 2027 tournament in South Africa, insisting their presence is essential.

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

12 Jun 2026 15:03 IST