Rishabh Pant Asked To Play 'Proper Cricket' In England, 'Save Risky Shots For IPL'
Former India wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer advised Rishabh Pant to save risky shots for the IPL and show more discipline in Tests.
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Farokh Engineer has asked the men's Test incumbent, Rishabh Pant, to save his unorthodox, risky shots for the Indian Premier League. Engineer gave his green light for Pant to play as a specialist batter in the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in Manchester due to his finger injury, but said he'll need to show much more discipline.
Pant picked up a blow to his index finger while wicketkeeping in the third Test at Lord's. He didn't look entirely comfortable while batting but managed to score a half-century in the first innings, before falling victim to Jofra Archer's jaffa in the second. India lost the Test and are trailing the series 2-1. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had confirmed that even if Pant can't keep wickets in Manchester, he'll play as a specialist batter.
'Absolutely. Save those (risky shots) for IPL," Engineer told RevSportz. 'Test cricket demands discipline. From a number three or four, you expect them to play proper cricket, get big scores, and build innings. Rishabh has scored centuries in both innings of a Test, which is remarkable. So yes, he could play purely as a batsman, especially with England's strong bowling lineup, now including Jofra Archer and Atkinson," he added.
Interestingly, Engineer himself was considered too flamboyant for his time. He revealed that he spoke to Pant about his shot selection as well but got the typical response.
'For the runs he's scored, yes, he can play as a pure batter. But Rishabh is unpredictable. Whatever comes to his mind, he does it. I joked with him about his shot selection, and he just laughed—said he does what feels right in the moment. He has the confidence and has gotten away with it often. But he needs to be more responsible in crucial moments, like right before lunch or at the end of a day's play. Still, he's immensely talented. He invents his own shots, and thankfully, helmets allow that now. In our time, we wouldn't have had any teeth left," Engineer added.
If Pant is picked as a specialist batter, India will still need a wicketkeeper in the 11. Dhruv Jurel is the backup option available in the squad and could come in for one of the all-rounders or top-order batters.
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First Published:
July 20, 2025, 16:45 IST
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