Rishabh Pant is ready for another Indian Premier League (IPL) season as the captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The league’s most expensive player will have to score two goals with just one shot. His duty as the team captain is to take the team to the top and as a player he has to prove himself again.
Ahead of the IPL 2026 season, former India opener Aakash Chopra said that Pant is a prisoner of his own reputation. The dynamic batsman is known for his aggressive play, using an unorthodox style of shot-making that has sometimes backfired in recent years.
He is a prisoner of his own reputation: Aakash Chopra
Despite producing good results on several occasions, Rishabh Pant is now out of the national cricket team. Chopra believes that the keeper-batsman should make some changes in his approach so that he can regain his place in Team India.
Chopra said on GeoHotstar, “The scrutiny around Rishabh Pant is justified. He is a prisoner of his own reputation for playing unorthodox shots and rarely seems to score runs when the situation demands it. Last season, despite taking time and opportunities to rebuild his form, he continued to play risky shots, which drew criticism.”
He said, “After being a part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning team in Barbados, he is now completely out of the conversation for the national team. The selectors and management made choices ranging from a middle-order keeper to an opener-keeper and a keeper who can bat at number three. While the IPL is huge, representing India is the top priority, and losing that spot means it is time for him to go back to the drawing board.”
Why is Rishabh Pant out of Team India?
Chopra further said that Rishabh Pant’s unique approach towards the game makes him different from the mainstream. The former cricketer turned commentator and cricket expert claimed that even former India head coach Rahul Dravid was not happy with the southpaw’s batting approach.
Chopra claimed, “In Test cricket, he had a conversation with Rahul Dravid when he was the head coach. Rahul Bhai was not very happy with Pant’s batting approach. To give credit, Pant sees the game very differently from most of us, who see it traditionally.”
Rishabh Pant will learn from Yuvraj Singh!
The batsman himself must have realized that he needed to change his notorious batting approach. Pant expressed his desire to learn from former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh, who has been mentoring stars like Abhishek Sharma, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh.
Aakash Chopra said, “The fact that he has approached Yuvraj Singh for help shows that he accepts that he needs guidance, help and support. It’s a good sign. Given the quality, talent and skill he has, it’s ridiculous that he is not killing it in white-ball cricket.”
Meanwhile, Pant’s last match for India was the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati from November 22-26, 2025, where he scored 7 and 13 runs in the first and second innings respectively.
Read more: ‘IPL teams may start canceling young English players’: Aakash Chopra on Ben Duckett controversy
Former KKR cricketer’s big comment on Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant is ready for another Indian Premier League (IPL) season as the captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The league’s most expensive player will have to score two goals with just one shot. His duty as the team captain is to take the team to the top and as a player he has to prove himself again.
Ahead of the IPL 2026 season, former India opener Aakash Chopra said that Pant is a prisoner of his own reputation. The dynamic batsman is known for his aggressive play, using an unorthodox style of shot-making that has sometimes backfired in recent years.
He is a prisoner of his own reputation: Aakash Chopra
Despite producing good results on several occasions, Rishabh Pant is now out of the national cricket team. Chopra believes that the keeper-batsman should make some changes in his approach so that he can regain his place in Team India.
Chopra said on GeoHotstar, “The scrutiny around Rishabh Pant is justified. He is a prisoner of his own reputation for playing unorthodox shots and rarely seems to score runs when the situation demands it. Last season, despite taking time and opportunities to rebuild his form, he continued to play risky shots, which drew criticism.”
He said, “After being a part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning team in Barbados, he is now completely out of the conversation for the national team. The selectors and management made choices ranging from a middle-order keeper to an opener-keeper and a keeper who can bat at number three. While the IPL is huge, representing India is the top priority, and losing that spot means it is time for him to go back to the drawing board.”
Why is Rishabh Pant out of Team India?
Chopra further said that Rishabh Pant’s unique approach towards the game makes him different from the mainstream. The former cricketer turned commentator and cricket expert claimed that even former India head coach Rahul Dravid was not happy with the southpaw’s batting approach.
Chopra claimed, “In Test cricket, he had a conversation with Rahul Dravid when he was the head coach. Rahul Bhai was not very happy with Pant’s batting approach. To give credit, Pant sees the game very differently from most of us, who see it traditionally.”
Rishabh Pant will learn from Yuvraj Singh!
The batsman himself must have realized that he needed to change his notorious batting approach. Pant expressed his desire to learn from former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh, who has been mentoring stars like Abhishek Sharma, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh.
Aakash Chopra said, “The fact that he has approached Yuvraj Singh for help shows that he accepts that he needs guidance, help and support. It’s a good sign. Given the quality, talent and skill he has, it’s ridiculous that he is not killing it in white-ball cricket.”
Meanwhile, Pant’s last match for India was the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati from November 22-26, 2025, where he scored 7 and 13 runs in the first and second innings respectively.
Read more: ‘IPL teams may start canceling young English players’: Aakash Chopra on Ben Duckett controversy
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