Rishabh Pant has had a very ordinary start to the IPL. And it is natural that people will refer to the 27-crore price tag each time he fails. The figure is such that it would send a chill down anyone’s spine. And when a young man has to justify such a fee, it can turn into a kind of pressure that’s too much to bear. However, it is important to note that Pant did not orchestrate the price. His franchise found him worthy enough to pay this amount and he had no hand in it. So, for anyone to say ‘Oh, he asked for 27 crores’ is actually unfair on him.
Having said that, for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to do well, Pant has to deliver. He is a key batter and needs to score runs. That’s what brings me to his position in the batting order. If I was Justin Langer or Zaheer Khan, I’d have a word with Pant and ask him to open. Two things have happened so far. First, he has come in when the team have gotten off to a flier. Few can match Nicholas Pooran when he is in flow, and it is only natural that Pant will feel the pressure of keeping up with that momentum. Second, when two quick wickets fell against Punjab, he had the job of making sure that LSG could still take advantage of the powerplay while not losing any further wickets. That Glenn Maxwell ball he got out to could have been hit anywhere. It was a rank long hop, and yet, Pant hit it into the hands of fine leg. That’s what happens when things aren’t going well, and that’s when you need to stay resilient and dig deep.
To avoid the scenarios mentioned above and also make sure that LSG have a left-right combination at the top, Pant should open with Mitchell Marsh. He can then go hard in the powerplay and take control of the game from the start. It is certainly an experiment worth trying, more so against Mumbai Indians (MI) or Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Against Trent Boult and the incoming ball, Pant is a better bet than either Aiden Markram or Marsh, and LSG might just get things right with this experiment. In Kolkata, where a turner is expected, Pant is a better player of spin than Marsh or Markram and could make the most of the powerplay if he bats at the top. Also, Markram bats in the middle for South Africa and will not be playing in a position that he isn’t used to. Gujarat Titans (GT) are a case in point. Jos Buttler always opened with Rajasthan Royals (RR), but with Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan there, he is now batting at No. 3 for Gujarat. He does so for England, so it wasn’t difficult for GT to slot him at 3.
It’s been a while since the IPL saw the best of Pant. He scored 446 runs at a strike-rate of 155.40 last season, but has never been able to match the sheer ‘wow’ factor of the 2018 season that catapulted him into the national limelight. Back then, he smashed 684 runs at 52.61, with a strike-rate of 173.60. Those Chris Gayle-like numbers marked him out as a special talent, but the T20 format hasn’t seen that avatar too much since.
With Mayank Yadav and Akash Deep (who has just joined the team) still unavailable for LSG, they will have to bank on their batting for at least the next two games. And that’s where Pant holds the key. Pooran has been in stellar form and if Pant joins the party, LSG can overhaul any total in the IPL. So, while it is easier said than done, Pant has to forget the price tag and just do what he knows best. Hit the ball when it is there to be hit. And he can do that best at the top of the order.
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