"He has got stuck a lot" - Irfan Pathan warns Rishabh Pant about his Team India future

Irfan Pathan has pointed out that Rishabh Pant needs to deliver with the bat for him to continue being a part of the full-strength Indian T20I side.

Pant scored just six runs in the third T20I against South Africa on Tuesday, June 14. However, the Men In Blue still posted a formidable score of 179/5 on the board and went on to win the match by 48 runs.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Irfan Pathan was asked about Rishabh Pant excelling in Tests but getting stuck in T20Is. He replied:

"He has got stuck a lot, you will have to perform. As of now, you are doing the captaincy but it is possible that going forward a time might come where you might have to work hard to play in the XI."

The former Indian all-rounder highlighted the plethora of keeper-batter options Team India have at their disposal. Pathan explained:

"You already have Dinesh Karthik and Ishan Kishan as wicketkeepers in the playing XI and Sanju Samson is waiting, and KL Rahul (who can keep) is a name who I will always keep in my playing XI. I feel he (Rahul) is the best cricketer. So there is a lot of competition, you cannot keep your bat quiet for too long."

Pant has managed just 40 runs in the three T20Is against the Proteas thus far and has been dismissed for single-digit scores in his last two innings. On the other hand, Ishan Kishan has excelled with the bat and Dinesh Karthik also played a decent knock in the second T20I.

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"There is no doubt that Rishabh Pant is a superstar player" - Irfan Pathan

Rishabh Pant has repeatedly been dismissed while playing big shots on the off side

Irfan Pathan was further asked about Pant's dismissal in Tuesday's game. He responded:

"The T20 game is his, that's what I believe. There is no doubt that Rishabh Pant is a superstar player. He is a 24-year-old boy, if he plays for the next 10 years, he can become the most fantastic cricketer but that result has not come till now."

The cricketer-turned-commentator advised the stand-in Indian skipper to exercise a little more caution while playing big shots towards the off side. Pathan elaborated:

"I feel he tries to muscle the ball a lot when he plays on the off side. When you try to put the same power that you put while playing on the leg side while losing your shape, there will be problems. He is trying to hit too hard and hitting the ball in the air. Play along the ground there and hit in the air on the leg side."

Pathan concluded by stating that Rishabh Pant can have similar numbers in T20 cricket to those he has in the longest format of the game if he changes his game slightly.