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Rishabh Pant's White-Ball Woes Continue: Saba Karim Pinpoints Missing Template

Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim attributes Rishabh Pant's prolonged struggles in the IPL and limited-overs internationals to his inability to find a clear batting template. Pant's ongoing poor season with Lucknow Super Giants sees him averaging just 24.50, compounding a dismal run from last year. Karim contrasts this with Pant's transparent thought process and success in Test cricket, where he averages over 42. Meanwhile, players like KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson have solidified the wicketkeeper-batter roles in India's white-ball sides.

Key Points: Saba Karim on Rishabh Pant's White-Ball Cricket Struggles

  • Poor IPL form continues
  • Struggling with white-ball template
  • Contrasting Test success
  • LSG's playoff hopes dim
3 min read

Pant yet to find his white-ball batting template, says Saba Karim as poor IPL run continues for LSG skipper

Former cricketer Saba Karim says Rishabh Pant lacks a clear batting template in limited-overs cricket, analyzing his poor IPL and international form.

"Rishabh Pant's problem lies in the fact that he's yet to find his template for white-ball cricket. - Saba Karim"

Mumbai, April 23

Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim said that Lucknow Super Giants skipper Rishabh Pant's struggles in the Indian Premier League for the past two editions are down to him struggling to find the right template in limited-overs cricket.

Pant's struggles in the ongoing season continued with a three-ball duck, dismissed while going across against Nandre Burger during the clash against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Thursday. After a horrific 269-run season last year, which included just one century and fifty, the ongoing season with LSG is shaping up to be even worse. So far, he has managed just 147 runs in seven innings at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 132.43, with just one fifty and a best score of 68*.

With two wins and five losses this season, LSG sits in ninth spot in the table, and their qualification chances for the playoffs are quite low.

Speaking during the ESPNCricinfo's 'TimeOut' programme, Saba said that despite playing plenty of domestic, IPL and international level limited overs cricket since 2015-16, Pant is yet to work on his template for the LOIs.

"A modern T20 batter has to find his own template. For instance, whether it is Shreyas Iyer or Rajat Patidar, even if Rajat Patidar goes in to bat on a track like this, I am sure he's got his clarity in his mind that he will go and play the big shots, and he is confident of doing so," Karim said.

"Rishabh Pant's problem lies in the fact that he's yet to find his template for white-ball cricket. And not only talking about T20, even ODIs. And Test-match batting for him, I think there is more transparency in his thought process the way he prepares. I think somehow in white-ball cricket he is yet to find that," he added.

Pant rose to stardom by delivering a sensational IPL 2018 season with 684 runs in 14 innings at an average of 52.61, a strike rate of over 173, including a century and five fifties. But despite all the hype and performances for the Delhi Capitals (DC), Pant has not been able to translate his quality IPL performances into international cricket.

In 76 matches and 66 innings in T20Is, he has made just 1,209 runs at an average of 23.25 and a poor strike rate of over 127, with just three fifties. In 31 ODIs, he has made 871 runs in 27 innings at an average of 33.50, with a strike rate of over 106, with a century and five fifties. He last played the white-ball formats for India during the 2024 tour to Sri Lanka.

Since then, KL Rahul has solidified his position in ODIs, while Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson have taken the wicketkeeper-batter slots after a sensational T20 World Cup, with Samson winning the 'Player of the Tournament' award courtesy three half-centuries from the virtual quarterfinal against West Indies to final against New Zealand, scoring 321 runs.

However, he has been sensational in Tests, scoring 3,476 runs in 49 matches and 86 innings at an average of 42.91 and a strike rate of 74.24, including eight tons and 18 fifties and high impacful knocks across continents and conditions.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
I think the accident and recovery might still be affecting his mindset. The confidence he had before that car crash is missing. He's overthinking now. Remember that shot he played in the 2022 T20 World Cup against Pakistan? That Pant is nowhere to be seen. He needs a sports psychologist or someone to help him mentally reset.
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Vikram M
Honestly, I'm tired of the hype around Pant. He's had one good IPL season in 2018 and people still talk about it. Look at his international T20 record—average of 23, strike rate 127. That's not good enough for a top-order batsman in this era. Sanju Samson and KL Rahul have performed way better in limited-overs. Maybe it's time to move on from Pant in white-ball cricket.
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Priya S
As an LSG fan, it's heartbreaking to see Pant struggle 😢 But I feel Saba Karim's analysis is a bit harsh. Pant is a match-winner on his day, and he's still only 27. Even Virat Kohli went through a lean patch. The difference is Pant doesn't have a strong support system in LSG—no experienced mentor like Dhoni or Kohli to guide him. Give him time, yaar.
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Rohit P
I think the issue is that Pant is trying to copy other batters' templates instead of creating his own. Saba Karim mentioned Shreyas Iyer and Rajat Patidar—they have clear plans. Pant's batting looks confused: sometimes he tries to anchor, sometimes he swings blindly. In Tests, he knows he can counterattack, but in T20s, every ball is a decision. He needs to go back to basics and play with freedom.

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