”I Am Sure He Will Come Back Strong”: MSK Prasad on Rishabh Pant

Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant has been in the news for quite some time now – be it his glovework behind the stumps or batting. He has dropped catches, made a blunder with DRS in the recently concluded series against West Indies and failed to contribute much with the bat too. However, the selector, MSK Prasad has advised him to work with a specialist coach to improve his keeping skills.

In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Prasad said Pant’s lack of confidence and practice has cost him badly in the game.

MSK Prasad backs Rishabh Pant

“It’s a combination of everything,” he said. “See, he is young and is still a work-in-progress. But there is a lot of time ahead for him. Since he got into the Indian side at a young age, he hasn’t played much domestic cricket. That is also one of the reasons. I am sure he will come back strong. It’s also good that this has happened early in his career.”

Rishabh Pant lost his place in the Test squad against South Africa at home where Wriddhiman Saha has replaced him and he has proved his worth too. However, the selector further shared Pant’s rough patch with the bat might have been reflecting on his keeping too. He further added that the youngster should work on his mental state to counter this problem.

“When you are in a relaxed state of mind, the way you receive that ball is different from the way you collect when you are under pressure,” Prasad told.

Pant got a lot of opportunities in all the three formats where he smashed a century in his Test debut. However, he left his mark in the limited-overs format. Moreover, he has full faith in the youngster.

“If he has that sort of ability, to get Test hundreds in Australia and England, he needs to be backed,” said Prasad. “He is focusing on playing long innings now, rather than going there and trying to hit every ball that he faces. He will learn with age.”