It’s premature to declare that “vintage” Rishabh Pant is back: Aakash Chopra before DC vs GT

Former cricketer Aakash Chopra of India said that it would be unfair to say that Rishabh Pant from the past is back. After a remarkable return from the vehicle tragedy, Pant was named DC captain for the Indian Premier League in 2024. Nevertheless, the team’s performance has not improved despite Pant’s comeback; in their eight games, they have only achieved three victories and five losses.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra expressed his desire for Pant to bat a little higher up the order. According to him, Pant’s batting graph has been fluctuating throughout the competition, indicating that he has been unreliable.

“Rishabh Pant is on my mind once again. It sounds repetitive. These are conflicts that must be fought from the front, so you may bat a little higher in the order. You’re hitting quite well. It is untrue to state that the classic Rishabh Pant has returned. It requires time. Sometimes you think he’s back, and other times you think it will take some time,” Aakash Chopra said.

AFTER HIS RETURN, HOW HAS PANT FARED?
Since the wicketkeeper-batter has moved down the order during hard chases, Pant’s batting position has gone unnoticed. Pant came out at number six while the hosts were chasing 267 runs in DC’s most recent encounter against SRH, and the game had already slipped away from them. DC lost the match by 67 runs despite his lackluster 44 runs from 35 balls.

Rishabh needs to step up for his side as a hitter, even if he has been playing brilliantly as captain and wicketkeeper, according to Aakash Chopra.

There’s a little hide-and-seek going on. That being said, there is no denying that Rishabh Pant, the batter and captain, will be crucial to the outcome of this game. He has to arrive at the correct number, make the right choices, and bat well after that, Aakash said.

This season, the daring batsman has struck over 150 with two fifties to his credit and has amassed 254 runs in 8 games for DC.