Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra is of the opinion that Rishabh Pant needs to reconsider his batting approach as he gears up for the IPL 2026 season with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
The LSG captain managed to score just 269 runs from 14 matches in IPL 2025, having struggled almost throughout the season.
His only notable knock during the entire season was an unbeaten 118 runs from 61 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final league stage match of the season.
Rishabh Pant a ‘prisoner of his own reputation’: Aakash Chopra
“The scrutiny around Rishabh Pant is justified. He is a prisoner of his own reputation for playing unorthodox shots and rarely looks to grind out runs when the situation demands it.
“Last season, despite opportunities to take time and rebuild his form, he continued to play risky shots, which drew criticism,” Aakash said on JioHotstar. Rishabh Pant has not played for the India T20I since July 2024, when he played against Sri Lanka.
He was part of the India squad that won the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados, but has since lost his spot to the likes of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan.
“Having been part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad in Barbados, he is now completely out of the conversation for the national side. The selectors and management went from selecting a middle-order keeper to an opener-keeper and a keeper who can bat at number three.
“While the IPL is massive, representing India remains the ultimate priority, and losing that spot means it’s time for him to go back to the drawing board,” added the 48-year-old.
‘Rahul bhai was not happy with Pant’s batting approach: Aakash Chopra
The former Delhi cricketer felt that Rishabh Pant was not liked by former India head coach Rahul Dravid. However, he did credit Pant for seeing the game differently from others.
“We sometimes fail to understand what Rishabh Pant brings to the table and how he sees the game unfold. In Test cricket, he had conversations with Rahul Dravid when he was the head coach. Rahul bhai was not very happy with Pant’s batting approach. To give credit where it’s due, Pant sees the game very differently from most of us who see it conventionally,” he added. `
Ahead of IPL 2026, Rishabh Pant is seeking guidance from former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh, and that could be a good thing, according to Chopra.
“The most heartening thing for me is his acceptance that he needs to change something in his game. He needs to look for a blueprint. Something is not going right. He knows he is that good.
“The fact that he has approached Yuvraj Singh for help shows he acknowledges that he needs guidance, help and assistance. That is a great sign. With the quality, talent and skills he has, it is a travesty that he is not killing it in white-ball cricket,” said Chopra.
Lucknow Super Giants will begin their IPL 2026 campaign with a home game against Delhi Capitals (DC) on 1 April.
