A hefty price tag has not influenced Rishabh Pant\u2019s batting rhythm, and Lucknow Super Giants skipper Bharat Arun believes the wicketkeeper-batter is only one innings away from returning to his best touch. Pant was bought by LSG for a massive Rs 27 crore in the mega auction held ahead of the previous IPL season, yet he has struggled to make a consistent impact with the bat since joining the franchise. LSG finished seventh in his debut campaign in charge of the side, with Pant collecting 269 runs across 14 matches at a strike rate of 127.50, including one hundred and one fifty. This season, Lucknow are sitting at the foot of the table, having managed just two wins from eight games, and Pant\u2019s numbers remain modest as well\u2014189 runs so far at a strike rate of 126.84, with one half-century.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the investment had any bearing on Pant\u2019s recent returns, Arun dismissed the idea outright. \u201cI don\u2019t think the price tag has got to do anything with it,\u201d Arun said. He added that Pant\u2019s batting across the board shows the bigger picture, pointing to a recent match where the batter helped take the team through the finish. \u201cIt\u2019s just a question of, if you really look at his batting throughout and if you look at the second game that we played, he took us through the (finish) line. I wouldn\u2019t be too concerned about his form. It\u2019s just a question of (him being) one innings away from getting back his form,\u201d Arun told reporters on Sunday before LSG\u2019s session at the Wankhede Stadium.<\/p>\n
The former India bowling coach also suggested that the situation for Lucknow is straightforward as the group stage reaches its final stretch\u2014every remaining fixture has the pressure of a knockout. \u201cEvery remaining game in the group stage of the IPL will be a knockout game for LSG,\u201d Arun said. \u201cThere is light at the end of the tunnel. For us, we have no other way to go. Every game is a knockout for us right from here,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Arun further noted that over-analysis of statistics will not change anything, stressing that attention should stay on execution and clarity on what the team believes it can do well. \u201cI don\u2019t think reading too much into data would really help. It\u2019s just that how we perform and how we focus on the things that we are confident about matters the most,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
On the fitness front, Arun said the coaching staff has put substantial effort into ensuring Mohsin Khan stays in shape through the off-season, and the results are now showing on the field. \u201cInjuries are an inherent part of a fast bowler\u2019s career. You can probably delay the onset of injuries. But every bowler can get injured,\u201d Arun remarked.<\/p>\n
He explained that the preparation began well before the season, with multiple camps and a structured workload built around strength and conditioning support. \u201cWe have had camps two and a half months prior to this and our strength and training coach and the physios have really worked on him at least three months in advance for him to come back and remain in peak form. The kind of work he put into his fitness is reaping rewards right now,\u201d Arun reiterated.<\/p>\n
Arun also maintained that Mayank Yadav is fully fit and has been bowling at pace, while selection decisions will still be taken by the team\u2019s management. \u201cThat\u2019s for the team management to decide. But if you ask me if he\u2019s fit, I would say yes, he\u2019s fit and ready to go right now. He\u2019s bowling quick and he\u2019s back to his old ways where he started,\u201d Arun said.<\/p>\n
Turning to India\u2019s fast-bowling scene, Arun spoke about Mohammed Shami and suggested that his mindset is the reason people keep questioning why he is not part of the national squad despite his performances. \u201cShami\u2019s mindset is very, very clear. On numerous occasions, he (has) said, \u2018selection is not in my hands but to do well is in my hands\u2019. That\u2019s exactly what he\u2019s doing,\u201d Arun said.<\/p>\n
Arun added that Shami\u2019s bowling form has been strong enough to trigger public debate around his absence, but he indicated the decision ultimately rests with factors outside the bowler\u2019s control. \u201cIf you look at the form in which he\u2019s bowling, everybody now is talking \u2018why is Shami not in the national team?\u2019 I think it\u2019s totally up to him. He enjoys his bowling (and) that is what he says,\u201d Arun remarked.<\/p>\n
In Mumbai Indians\u2019 camp, Rohit Sharma continued his fitness work with drills. Mumbai were not scheduled to train on Sunday following their game against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk the previous night, but Rohit Sharma\u2014along with head coach Mahela Jayawardene\u2014still arrived at the team\u2019s home ground. On his comeback trail, Rohit started with light warm-ups with two members of the support staff accompanying him, then did some easy running before spending a short spell in the nets with the bat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A hefty price tag has not influenced Rishabh Pant\u2019s batting rhythm, and Lucknow Super Giants skipper Bharat Arun believes the wicketkeeper-batter is only one innings…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL News: Bharat Arun On Rishabh Pant\u2019s Form & LSG","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Bharat Arun backs Rishabh Pant to hit his best form soon, insisting he\u2019s just one innings away from turning things around for LSG.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n