If Rishabh Pant keeps repeating his mistakes, there will be a rap on the knuckles, says Ravi Shastri
India head coach Ravi Shastri has cautioned Rishabh Pant that he will come under schoolboy-level disciplining if he continues to throw his wicket away regardless of his capabilities. And with the T20 World Cup just over a year away, Shastri expects to have a pool of 18 players to choose from.
All through his short blitz in international or IPL cricket, no one has doubted the talent that Pant possesses. However, it would be an understatement to say that no one has refrained from questioning the wicketkeeper-batsman's shot selection too. The key lesson his head coach, Shastri, hopes he learns is that his decision-making with the bat has let the team and himself down.
"When you see a shot like the one in Trinidad, off the first ball, [it's disappointing]. He tries to repeat it a couple of times and gets out, he will be told. There will be a rap on the knuckles there - talent or no talent - because you are letting the team down, forget letting yourself down. You are letting the team down in a situation where you have the captain at the other end. You have a target to chase where the need of the hour is some sensible cricket," Shastri told Star Sports, reported ESPNCricinfo.
After the selection committee made it certain that Pant will be their No.1 option in his role going forward, taking over from the legendary MS Dhoni, many an Indian fan expected the 21-year-old to settle into his responsibilities in a serious manner. But apart from a match-winning fifty in the third T20I, it was a disappointing tour of West Indies for Pant. Time may well be on his side, but Shastri wants his young gun to start stepping up to the task soon.
"No one will change his style but match awareness becomes crucial, shot selection becomes crucial in particular situations. If he can fathom that out, he could be unstoppable. You mentioned how many games [it would take], it could be one game, it could be four games. I don't see more than that. He will learn. He has played enough IPL cricket. So it's time now for him to step on to the stage and just show the world how devastating he is,” Shastri said.
For the rest of T20-rich season, the Men in Blue will look to finally crack the T20 code which has eluded them since their triumph in the inaugural edition way back in 2007. Including a majority of young, exciting talent, Shastri hopes to have a pool of approximately 18 players to choose from immediately before the showdown Down Under.
"I would say a pool of 18 players [would be ideal]. We already have 15, so if you get another three from the outside in that span, you have got your pool. But the important thing is to be prepared to invest, not be scared that you might lose an odd game or two," Shastri added.