Over the years, Rishabh Pant has established himself as an aggressive, left-handed batter who thrives on taking the attack to the opposition, regardless of the situation or format.
While this high-risk approach has often yielded match-winning performances, it has also led to occasional criticism for “throwing away his wicket.”
However, recently retired Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed a different side to Pant’s batting, calling his defense “one of the best in world cricket.”
In a video on his YouTube channel, Ashwin shared his experience of bowling to Pant in numerous net sessions.
“We must realize that Rishabh Pant rarely gets out playing a defensive shot. He’s got one of the best defenses in world cricket. Defense has become a challenging aspect, but he has mastered it with soft hands. I’ve bowled to him a lot in the nets, and he doesn’t get out—no edges, no LBWs. He truly has the best defense, and I’ve tried telling him that,” Ashwin said.
Discussing Pant’s recent performances, Ashwin noted that while the southpaw hasn’t always scored prolifically, he never plays like someone out of form.
“He hasn’t scored a lot of runs recently, but he plays with intent and has a lot of time on his hands. Rishabh Pant is yet to realize his fullest potential,” Ashwin remarked.
Ashwin emphasized the importance of combining Pant’s attacking strokeplay with his solid defensive foundation to achieve consistency.
“He has all the shots—reverse-sweep, slog-sweep, everything—but these are high-risk shots. If he relies on his defense and faces 200 balls, he’ll score runs in every game. The key is finding that balance, the ‘middle game.’ If he masters that, he can score 100 runs every match,” Ashwin explained.
Since becoming a regular in India’s Test setup, Pant has often provided crucial momentum to innings with his ability to score at a brisk pace.
In Test cricket, he has amassed 2,948 runs at an impressive average of 42.11, solidifying his position as one of India’s key players in the longest format.
With Ashwin’s insights highlighting Pant’s untapped potential and defensive prowess, the young batter remains a pivotal figure for India, with his best seemingly yet to come.