'I've never told Pant anything other than this: be smart'
Ravi Shastri advised Rishabh Pant to stay smart rather than change his natural game after his white-ball stocks fell.
Ravi Shastri has always told Rishabh Pant to be smart rather than change his natural game. The former India coach made the point in an interview with the Times of India as Pant's white-ball stocks continue to slide.
Pant remains India's first-choice wicketkeeper in Tests, yet he has fallen out of favour in limited-overs cricket with the 2027 ODI World Cup in view. Shastri said Pant's ability is not in doubt, but he must stay alert to match situations without trying to reinvent his aggressive style.
KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson now crowd the white-ball spots, and the selectors are clearly leaning towards reliability over raw talent.
CricHubb Take
The real test is whether Pant can tighten his game without losing the instinct that made him a Test regular — or whether the selectors have already decided that instinct is a luxury they can no longer afford.