India’s former World Cup-winning all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has revealed that his new protégé, Indian batsman and batsman Rishabh Pant, would like to improve his batting in white-ball cricket and return to the Indian set-up.
Pant last played for India in the white-ball format in August 2024 when the team toured Sri Lanka for a three-match ODI and T20 series. He was included in only three games during the series and scored 57 runs, with 51 of them coming in the T20I series.
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He was also part of the 2025 Champions Trophy winning team in UAE and Pakistan but did not play a single match, with fellow goalkeeper KL Rahul remaining the first choice.
“He is someone who wants to move forward with his cricket and be better. He wants to perform and come back to white-ball cricket,” Yuvraj said in a podcast with India Today’s sister channel Sports Tak.
Pant, who is the most expensive purchase in the history of the Indian Premier League, was seen training with Yuvraj in Mumbai in March to sharpen his batting and temperament.
“If I can push him mentally then I believe he will be in a better space. And I feel he is in a better space and you will definitely see a different Rishabh Pant this IPL,” he added.
HOW YUVRAJ LEADS INIDA NEXT GEN
The 2011 ICC World Cup player of the tournament has mentored many of India’s current cricket stars such as Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill and star openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Yuvraj believes that it works better when he sits down and talks to his charges, which gives him a better understanding of their state of mind.
In this regard, Yuvraj explained how he decided to spend 3-4 days with Rishabh Pant and talk about things.
Pant’s struggles with the white ball are well known. The southpaw managed just one-and-a-half centuries as the captain of Lucknow Super Giants last season. He maintained a strike rate of over 133 at an average of 24.45 during the season. He was also part of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup winning team, scoring 171 runs in 8 innings at an average of 24.42 and a strike rate of 127.61.
Pant will next be in action in the IPL against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 5.
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Published on:
03 Apr 2026 15:45 IST
