‘I want Rishabh Pant to be the best Test player he’s ever been’: Ajit Agarkar after vice-captain moves to KL Rahul

Ajit Agarkar and Rishabh Pant (ANI Photo) MUMBAI: This is perhaps the toughest phase of Rishabh Pant’s international career. On Tuesday, his recent setbacks took on an official color. The 28-year-old Pant seems to have had little going for him, starting with his sacking as Test vice-captain to a setback in the form of Ishan Kishan in ODIs.Once seen as India’s future captain and the mastermind behind several famous Test victories overseas, the left-hander endured another underwhelming IPL season for Lucknow Super Giants, scoring just 251 runs in 12 matches at 27.88, including just one fifty. Under his leadership, LSG also fell to the bottom of the IPL table.Meanwhile, Pant’s rivals — Sanju Samson and Kishan — have leapfrogged forward after starring in India’s victorious T20 World Cup 2026 campaign and carried that form into the IPL for their respective franchises.Chief selector Ajit Agarkar defended the decision to drop Pant as vice-captain, insisting that the move was aimed at helping Pant focus fully on batting. “Rishabh is an incredible Test player. We want him to become the best Test player he has ever been,” Agarkar said in a virtual press conference on Tuesday. “I don’t think there is any concern about his place in the Test team. He remains one of our main batsmen. He had a really good tour of England before he got injured.”“Currently, we have taken two different options in One-Day cricket. But in Test cricket, he remains one of our key players,” he added. Voters clearly see Rahul as a safer replacement for Shubman Gill, especially given his leadership experience and strong overseas record. “KL has captained India in Tests before. We felt he is the best choice at this time in terms of leadership and experience,” Agarkar said.

Nabi ignored, Brar got a surprise call

The selection meeting also brought a few decisions in the pace department. Despite topping the scoring charts in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season with 60 wickets in 10 matches at an amazing average of 12.56, Jammu and Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi has been overlooked. Instead, the selectors backed Punjab and Gujarat Titans pacer Gurnoor Brar for both the Test and ODI squads, while Lucknow Super Giants pacer Prince Yadav earned his first ODI call-up.The decision effectively closes the door, at least temporarily, on Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Agarkar admitted that Nabi’s performances were discussed. “Nabi is someone who has done really well in the last few seasons. There has definitely been a discussion around him,” Agarkar said. “But in India you don’t necessarily pick too many seamers in the Test squad. He was close but we took the options we chose.”