Rishabh Pant’s international future is facing a serious test. In the span of under two years, the wicketkeeper-batter has effectively slid into a single-format identity, and with the next Test looming, the pressure around his selection prospects is growing fast. India begin a one-off Test against Afghanistan at New Chandigarh on Saturday, with Pant expected to return to wicketkeeping responsibilities—an opportunity that could either quiet the growing noise or intensify it.
Key takeaways
- Pant is set to resume wicketkeeping for India in the one-off Test against Afghanistan at New Chandigarh starting Saturday.
- Questions around Pant’s place have increased after struggles across formats, including a tough spell in Australia in 2024–25.
- At home in Tests versus South Africa last year, he captained after Shubman Gill’s injury forced a change, but India lost both matches badly.
- His IPL captaincy with Lucknow Super Giants did not deliver the expected results, with the franchise finishing 7th in 2025 and last in 2026.
- With pressure mounting, Dhruv Jurel is mentioned as a potential option for future Test assignments if Pant fails to impress.
From IPL promise to international uncertainty
There was a period when Pant was viewed as an all-format international player, but that confidence has eroded. His rise began in the IPL, where he made his mark as a T20 batter for Delhi Daredevils—now known as Delhi Capitals. Even though he continued to show inconsistency for a prolonged stretch, the team’s management stayed with him for longer than many would have expected.
Eventually, however, patience ran out during India’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2024. After that setback, Pant began to find traction as an ODI player and produced a major moment with a stunning century in England. Yet the pattern repeated: the ODI upswing did not sustain, and doubts returned.
One major factor shaping the arc of his career is the grave accident he suffered in December 2022, which kept him away from international cricket for 15 months. While his ODI career got going again in the aftermath, the early momentum did not appear stable—leaving his future trajectory uncertain at the present moment.
Test struggles and mounting criticism
At this stage, Pant’s last clear international lane is Test cricket. But even there, results have not come easily. His approach—often built around high-risk shot-making—has attracted a steady stream of criticism.
In the 2024–25 season, Pant struggled in Australia. Sunil Gavaskar later delivered a memorable assessment after one of Pant’s high-risk shots failed to land, calling it “stupid, stupid, stupid.”
Last year, he was handed the Test captaincy role at home against South Africa after Shubman Gill was ruled out partway through the opening match due to injury. The outcome was harsh for Pant’s leadership stint: he did not manage to make an impact with the bat, and India lost both games badly, making the period particularly uncomfortable for him.
IPL captaincy pressure with Lucknow
The IPL has not provided a rescue either. Over the last two seasons, Pant captained Lucknow Super Giants and spent a significant stretch struggling with the bat, while also failing to lift the team consistently.
In 2025, LSG—under his captaincy—finished 7th. The situation worsened in 2026, when the franchise ended the season at the bottom of the table. That performance led to Pant stepping down from the captaincy role.
Off the field, the relationship between Pant and LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka was also viewed as strained at various points, despite Goenka’s claims that everything was fine.
What happens next: Afghanistan Test as a potential turning point
With a storm of scrutiny building around him, the Afghanistan Test could become decisive. Unless Pant produces something out of the ordinary, this match may end up being his last chance to change perceptions.
If he fails, there is a suggestion that Gautam Gambhir may look toward Dhruv Jurel for future Test assignments. The situation is also framed through a parallel involving Suryakumar Yadav: in March, Suryakumar won the T20 World Cup as India captain, and in a group-stage match against the United States, his innings helped prevent India from slipping into trouble. Still, the argument made is that his batting had been declining over the previous couple of years.
Similarly, Pant’s position is being linked to the wider theme of recent franchise form. Like Pant, Suryakumar endured a difficult 2026 IPL with Mumbai Indians, and there have been reports that the BCCI is considering moving on from him both as captain and as a player.
How Pant can arrest the decline
The encouraging part for Pant is that he is not confused about what he needs to do. A major Test innings combined with strong wicketkeeping—especially backed by a couple of high-quality catches—could give him the kind of reset that keeps his international career from stalling completely.
