Navjot Singh Sidhu says Rishabh Pant needs to go back to basics, urges batter to improve his shot-selection

Former Indian opener Navjot Singh Sidhu said Rishabh Pant needs to go back to his basics to get back in form. Sidhu reckons the wicket-keeper bat needs to improve his shot selection in order to deliver the goods for Lucknow Super Giants.

Pant, who was bought for a whopping amount of INR 27 crore in the IPL mega auction, hasn’t been able to lead from the front. The left-hander has scored 128 runs in 11 matches of the ongoing IPL 2025 at an average of 12.80 and a strike rate of 99.22.

Pant has been trying to take the attack against the opposition from the get-go and his experimental shots in the early stages of his innings are leading to his downfall.

“The problem with Rishabh Pant is his shot selection. You can’t hit your way out of trouble every time,” JioStar expert Sidhu said during a panel discussion. 

“Maybe it’s the pressure of his own reputation that’s weighing him down and not allowing him to relax. It shows-his frustration is visible. As captain, he often loses his cool, and that gives the opposition an edge.”

Sidhu said Pant should take a leaf out of MS Dhoni’s book as the CSK captain is known to stay calm under pressure.

He added, “Look at Dhoni-calm, composed, giving nothing away. Pant needs to tune his mindset, especially around shot selection. He needs to go back to the basics.”

Lucknow Super Giants is in seventh place in the IPL standings with five wins and six losses. Rishabh Pant’s team have lost their last three games and they will next take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Lucknow on Friday, which would be a must-win contest for them.