NEW DELHI: India\u2019s head coach Gautam Gambhir said on Friday that Rishabh Pant doesn\u2019t need to abandon his natural way of batting, but should fine-tune how he plays based on what the game situation calls for\u2014an outlook that closely matched the comments made by assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate a day earlier. Pant was recently dropped from the role of Test vice-captain when the BCCI named the squad for India\u2019s one-off match against Afghanistan, scheduled to start on Saturday in New Chandigarh.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Gambhir made it clear that the team\u2019s intent is not to force Pant to change his identity at the crease. \u201cWe don\u2019t want Rishabh Pant to change,\u201d Gambhir said, adding that international cricket requires players to stay alert to the demands of each moment. His message was simple: the wicketkeeper-batter can keep his natural strengths, but must also be smarter about adapting to match scenarios.<\/p>\n
Gambhir\u2019s remarks arrived a day after Ten Doeschate discussed Pant\u2019s approach to batting and leadership. Ten Doeschate suggested that while Pant\u2019s ability and flair are valued, there is still room for improvement in how he adjusts when required. \u201cWith Rishabh\u2019s brilliance, we don\u2019t want to take away all the stuff that he does,\u201d Ten Doeschate said. \u201cBut occasionally, if he can adjust his game to play the (match) situations slightly more, I think that\u2019s something you\u2019ll see him work on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ten Doeschate also touched on the leadership aspect, explaining that Pant\u2019s influence isn\u2019t tied to a specific title. \u201cI don\u2019t think he needs a formal title to be a leader in an elite setup like this,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I think Rishabh understands that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pant, 28, is set to mark his 50th Test appearance when India face Afghanistan. Across 49 previous Tests, he has amassed 3,476 runs at an average of 42.91, striking at 74.24. His record includes eight centuries and 18 half-centuries.<\/p>\n
The milestone comes after a challenging stretch for Pant. In IPL 2026, he struggled for form in both roles\u2014performing as a batter and serving as captain of Lucknow Super Giants. He also lost the Test vice-captaincy to KL Rahul. During India\u2019s Test series against South Africa and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, Pant\u2019s attacking approach was questioned at times, with his batting decisions under particular scrutiny.<\/p>\n
Now, the Afghanistan Test is viewed as a chance for Pant to reset and focus on red-ball cricket. With India beginning yet another Test assignment, it offers him an opportunity to bring his energy back into the longer format and make a tangible impact with the bat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW DELHI: India\u2019s head coach Gautam Gambhir said on Friday that Rishabh Pant doesn\u2019t need to abandon his natural way of batting, but should fine-tune…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":14228,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Gautam Gambhir Advice to Rishabh Pant: IPL Focus","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Gautam Gambhir tells Rishabh Pant to keep his natural batting style but tweak shots and tempo to match IPL game situations, after recent setbacks.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n