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Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa feels that Rishabh Pant is well-suited to bat in the top-order in T20 cricket. After not being picked in India's squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, Pant's next assignment in the shortest format will most likely be IPL 2026 where he will be captaining the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Pant had a dismal IPL 2025 campaign with the Lucknow-based franchise and only scored 269 runs in 14 matches after being signed for a record-breaking fee of INR 27 crore. He batted in the middle-order throughout the tournament, registering just one century and half-century each.
Uthappa's verdict on Pant's batting position
Uthappa believes that Pant could have done much better if he batted in the top-order just like how he did for India during the 2024 T20 World Cup. He sent a clear message to Pant, urging him to either open the innings or take the crease at No.3 as then he would be able to play freely in the powerplay.
"I am very patient personally with Pant. I still believe that because of that accident, we have not seen the best or maximum of Pant. I feel he is getting there and is building himself. I believe that if he opens or plays at three, we will see the best of him soon. I was very happy when he was playing at three in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He is such a batter who should get more balls in T20 cricket," Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.
"He should be given the freedom of the powerplay. I was so frustrated that he was the captain of LSG and batting at five. If this reaches to him, bro please open, you will shake Indian T20 cricket. He even scored that hundred at number three last year," he added.
Pant's long absence in white-ball cricket
Meanwhile, when it comes to the international stage, Pant hasn't made a T20I appearance since July, 2024. Though the 28-year-old is likely to not be picked in India's squad for the T20I assignment against New Zealand, he can make his return to ODIs as he has been included in the squad for the series against the Black Caps, starting from January 11. If he makes the cut into the playing XI, then it will be his first ODI appearance since August, 2024.
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India's squad for New Zealand ODIs: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC)*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal
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