Rishabh Pant’s 20-month wait to feature in a first-class match has ended in disappointment. The southpaw, who last played a red-ball match against Bangladesh in December 2022, managed to stay in the middle for just 10 balls in the Team A vs B match in the Duleep Trophy 2024.
Pant’s red-ball return goes awry
The score read 53/2 when Pant walked into the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. In typical fashion, he started with a boundary on his very first ball. A rare poor delivery (full toss) from Avesh Khan was dispatched in disdain by Pant through the cover region, and the crowd clapped in unison to celebrate his return to his best format.
On the third ball he faced, he went down the track and tried to smash Avesh over mid-wicket but completely missed the ball. A rash shot, some might have said, but that’s how Pant has succeeded in Test cricket. That’s what makes him India’s greatest wicketkeeper batter in the format.
Having already gone after Avesh, he decided that Akash Deep was next. He walked down the track once again and got some bats on it. However, the connection wasn’t great. It looked like he might escape once again, but Team A’s captain, Shubman Gill, took a great running back catch and ended Pant’s stay.
This was always on the cards. Pant hasn’t been in the best of touch since his return. He was great in IPL 2024, but post that, he’s consistently failed to perform. When going against top bowlers like Tanush Kotian, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, and Khaleel Ahmed, it was never going to be easy.
Pant’s already expected to be named in the squad for the India vs Bangladesh Tests, but if he struggles in the second innings as well, the selectors might give Dhruv Jurel a go.
Rishabh Pant’s record since return
| Inns | Runs | Balls Faced | Avg | SR | 50s & 100s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL 2024 | 13 | 446 | 287 | 40.55 | 155.4 | 3 & 0 |
| T20I | 10 | 222 | 169 | 27.75 | 131.36 | 0 & 0 |
| ODI | 1 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 66.66 | 0 & 0 |
| DPL | 1 | 35 | 32 | 35 | 109.37 | 0 & 0 |
| Duleep Trophy | 1 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 70 | 0 & 0 |
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