He has scored 188 runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 so far.
Former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has ignited a new debate in Indian cricket. He stated that Rishabh Pant is not the best choice for the middle order in limited-overs formats. Ashwin’s comments come as discussions about India’s batting combinations heat up for the ODI series against New Zealand and the ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa.
Ashwin believes that Pant’s natural game currently fits better in the top order when the ball is hard and field restrictions are applied. He suggested that team management should reconsider their batting plans, keeping the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 in mind.
“The only debate is between Pant and Gaikwad. Could [Ruturaj] Gaikwad have been kept in the squad after South Africa series? I personally don’t think Pant can bat in the middle order in white-ball cricket right now. I believe he is a top-three batter,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show Ash ki Baat.
The selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, announced the India squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, where Pant retained his place as a backup keeper-batter despite a torrid form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26.
Ruturaj Gaikwad was left out even after scoring a hundred and a fifty in the three ODI series vs South Africa at home, raising eyebrows. Notably, Gaikwad carried the momentum in the VHT 2025-26, scoring 257 runs at 64.25 average and 120.65 strike rate at No.4 with a hundred and fifty.
Ashwin also highlighted the fierce competition for batting spots in the current Indian lineup. He suggested that players like Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal may get extended chances only after seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli hang up their boots.
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Rishabh Pant is an aggressive batter who sometimes throws away his wicket. His technique limits his performance against spin in white-ball cricket and affects his ability to rotate the strike during the middle overs. This leads him to play big shots, which can result in his dismissal.
Batting in the top order could work in his favour. During the power play, only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle. In the middle overs, he has the chance to settle in, read the wicket, and adjust his play. There are only four fielders on the boundary during the middle overs phase, unlike in the final 10 overs, when he has no choice but to play aggressively with bowlers varying their lines and lengths.
Additionally, Rishabh Pant moving into the top order will certainly improve the balance of the right-hander-heavy batting lineup of India, featuring right-handers from openers to the top six. However, the presence of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill being the captain, and Virat Kohli doesn’t allow him to settle in the top order.
Despite making his ODI debut in October 2018, Rishabh Pant has played in 31 matches and hasn’t really made his mark. It can be evident from the fact that Pant is still not India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in ODIs and falls behind in the T20I format.
There has been only one instance in which he has batted in the top three in ODIs. In that game against the West Indies in 2022, Pant scored 18 runs off 34 balls with a strike rate of 52.94. In 27 50-over innings, the left-handed batter has scored 871 runs with an average of 33.50 and a strike rate of 106.21 with one century and five fifties to his name.
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