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Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant promoted himself up the order in Lucknow Super Giants opening defeat to Delhi Capitals but the skipper isn't sure whether he would be facing the new ball through out the entire course of Indian Premier League this season. Pant (7) was run-out at non-striker's end after Mukesh Kumar of DC deflected a straight hit from Mitchell Marsh but the data indicates that the flamboyant left-hander has been at his best when he has opened the innings. In 23 games that he has opened across all T20s, his strike-rate has been 159 with a century and five fifties. "It's a 50-50 call," Pant said when asked if he would continue opening throughout instead of the crack pair of Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh. Asked about his run-out, Pant said: "The best way to recover is to ignore the run-out. You can't control something like that, but thinking about it puts you under pressure." He also conceded that he was forced to bring in all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed as an Impact Sub after a batting coll
Kevin Pietersen has questioned Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant's credentials as a top-order batter, saying that featuring in the top three would be going "a little too far ahead" for the India wicketkeeper-batter. Pant was run out at the non-striker's end for 7 (9 balls) when the ball brushed the bowler Mukesh Kumar's fingers and broke the wickets, as LSG were shot out for 141 in 18.4 overs in their IPL season-opener, against Delhi Capitals. After LSG lost the contest by six wickets, Pant said he plans to bat in the top order this season, a move which Pietersen says will not let him enjoy his cricket as much. "I think it's a 50-50 call, but we'll see. But (you'll) definitely see me in the top order," he told the broadcaster. Pietersen is not in favour of Pant opening the innings. "When you look at the strength and depth of LSG's batting, is Rishabh Pant really an opening batter? I think he might have gone a little too far ahead of where he was in the line-up compared to
South Africa A resisted through a century-stand between Jordan Hermann and Zubayr Hamza, but India A spinners, led by Tanush Kotian, plucked wickets at regular intervals to keep the visitors to 299 for nine on the first day of the opening four-day match here on Thursday. Hermann (71) and Hamza (66) shared a 130-run stand for the second wicket after being asked to bat first, holding the SA innings together for a session and a half. But once Hamza fell to pacer Gurnoor Brar (1/45) while attempting a ramp shot to be caught behind by Rishabh Pant, the Indian bowlers wrested back the control. Hamza was not precisely happy with the call as was Hermann later with the umpire's leg-before decision in favour of off-spinner Kotian (4/83), the most impressive Indian bowler on show on this day. But the other three top-order batters should have little grouse in their dismissals. Opener Lesego Senokwane slashed pacer Anshul Kamboj to Ayush Mhatre at first slip, and Rivaldo Moonsamy edged left-ar
Wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant is looking "fitter" and is raring to go in the two-match four-day series against South Africa A here, India A vice-captain Sai Sudharsan said here on Wednesday. Pant, who will lead India A, is returning after a three-month absence because of a foot injury which he sustained in July in England, and now the 28-year-old is aiming to get back to the national fold during the two-match Test series against the Proteas. Rishabh looks fantastic, actually, may be fitter I would say. He had some time to build, put that training in his legs because sometimes when you get injured you have that specific time to work on whatever you want. I feel he looks a bit more fit and strong and as courageous as always he is, said Sudharsan after India A's training session. The Tamil Nadu batter said Pant was in his characteristic bubbly self during the training session at the BCCI CoE and has exhorted the team to use the matches to get the red-ball rhythm. The message from P