India vs South Africa: ‘Can’t believe there is so much talk around Rishabh Pant’ – Former India player

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Former Indian bowler Ajit Agarkar believes young wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant is being put under too much pressure which is then impeding the way he plays his game. “I cannot believe that there is so much talk around a guy who has two Test hundreds away from India and who can play impactful innings. T20 can sometimes get you into trouble because you have to play shots and the ball was there to be hit, only the execution was not probably to what he would have liked,” said the former cricketer in an interview with ESPNCricinfo.

He even said that the management should decide the number for Pant and then give him a long rope in a particular role. He suggested that Shreyas Iyer can be brought in at No.4 while Pant can be pushed down the order which could give him more freedom to express himself.

“You also need to decide what you need from him. Do you want him to be a number 4 batsman who bats through the innings or you want him to be that impactful player and you are ready for those sorts of dismissals? But there is too much talk of it,” he said.

“Maybe Shreyas Iyer, who has shown some good form, can come at No.4 and Pant could be dropped down the order and be asked to play freely. India can take pressure of him. There is some unnecessary pressure put on that guy who is very young in his international career and has the potential to win games for India,” he further added.

Pant, in the recent past, has shown a tendency to throw his wicket away with rather callous strokes and this has invited criticism from several quarters. Indian coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli too have asked the young man to be more astute while reading conditions and to put the interests of the team ahead of personal goals.