Former India selector Saba Karim has asked Rishabh Pant to identify a clearer batting blueprint for white-ball cricket after the wicketkeeper-batter managed a three-ball duck in Wednesday’s match. Pant’s struggles have continued to weigh on Lucknow Super Giants’ campaign in IPL 2026, with the franchise suffering a 40-run loss to Rajasthan Royals. Lucknow are now on a four-match skid and sit ninth among ten teams, having collected two wins and five defeats from seven games.
Karim highlighted that Pant’s current output is not matching the standards expected of a franchise leader. Across seven IPL 2026 matches, Pant has made 147 runs at an average of 24.50, striking at 132.43. That return places him as Lucknow’s fifth-highest run-getter so far, and he is ranked 33rd in the Orange Cap standings—an indicator of how difficult the season has been for him.
Karim’s advice to Pant: build a white-ball template
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Karim said a modern T20 batter must develop a personal plan to handle different phases of an innings. He used examples to explain the idea of having clarity about how to attack, regardless of match conditions.
“A modern T20 batter has to find his own template. For instance, whether it is Shreyas Iyer or Rajat Patidar, even if Rajat Patidar goes in to bat on a track like this, I’m sure he’s got clarity in his mind that he will go and play the big shots, and he’s confident of doing so,” Karim said.
Karim then pointed directly to what he believes is missing from Pant’s approach in limited-overs cricket. He suggested that Pant’s preparation and decision-making are more transparent in other formats, but that the white-ball “template” has not yet taken shape.
“Rishabh Pant’s problem lies in the fact that he’s yet to find his template for white-ball cricket. And not only talking about T20, even ODIs. And Test-match batting for him, I think there is more transparency in his thought process the way he prepares. I think somehow in white-ball cricket he is yet to find that,” he added.
Tracking Pant’s recent IPL and international numbers
Karim’s comments come after another tough chapter for Pant in the IPL. In IPL 2025, the Lucknow captain endured a disappointing run, scoring 269 runs across 14 matches. His average that season was 24.45 with a strike rate of 133.16. While he did manage one century and one fifty, the overall impact did not translate into results, as Lucknow finished seventh in the standings.
This term, the pressure has only intensified, and it has not been limited to Pant alone. Even Lucknow’s collective batting execution has faltered, leaving the team struggling for consistent returns from multiple players.
Looking beyond the IPL, Pant’s white-ball record also underlines the challenge of finding a consistent role. In 66 T20I innings, he has scored 1209 runs at an average of 23.25, with a strike rate of 127.26. In T20Is specifically, he has reached the fifty once more than three times—registering only three fifties in total.
In ODIs, Pant has played 27 innings, scoring 871 runs at an average of 33.50 while striking at 106.21. His ODI tally includes one century and five fifties.
White-ball selection picture: not yet a locked-in option
Karim also implicitly touched on the wider competition for places in India’s limited-overs setup. Pant is not yet a confirmed regular in the Indian white-ball top XI.
In ODIs, KL Rahul has established himself as a consistent pick. In T20Is, the wicketkeeper-batter roles have largely been occupied by Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson, leaving Pant to fight for stability and opportunities to rebuild form at the international level.
