‘Why such a big craze over Rishabh?’: Ex-IPL star baffled by Pant’s Rs 27.5cr price tag | Cricket News – The Times of India
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‘Why such a big craze over Rishabh?’: Ex-IPL star baffled by Pant’s Rs 27.5cr price tag | Cricket News – The Times of India


‘Why such a big craze over Rishabh?’: Ex-IPL star baffled by Pant’s Rs 27.5cr price tag | Cricket News – The Times of India
Rishabh Pant (Photo by PTI)

NEW DELHI: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant’s performances and massive IPL price tag have come under scrutiny after a disappointing season last time, where he struggled for consistency as the team missed the playoffs. The wicketkeeper-batter, bought for a record Rs 27.50 crore, is now being urged to rethink his approach as he aims for a comeback in India’s white-ball setup.Speaking on Star Sports, former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis criticised Pant’s lack of a clear game plan, saying, “Even in his method in Test cricket, it looks all over the place. “But there must be something in his head that says this is the blueprint I want to play with in Test cricket. It’s the same in T20 cricket. Just figuring out what your game plan looks like to give yourself the best chance of not being a 1 or 2 out of 10 player and instead be a 60 to 70% player, where you can have consistency.”He added that Pant seems overwhelmed by too many shot options: “It boils down to him having too many options in his head. It feels like he can score a six off every ball… But you still need a method even for T20 batting… with Pant, you feel like he’s always on the edge.”Du Plessis also questioned Pant’s huge auction value despite modest T20 numbers. He added, “You look at players like Pant in the auction and ask why there is such a big craze over someone like him… If you look at his T20 numbers, it’s not that great. So why is there such an obsession with him?” Pant scored just 269 runs last season at an average of 24.45, his lowest in IPL history, raising concerns about whether he has lived up to expectations.

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‘The problem lies in his…’: Irfan Pathan reveals how Abhishek Sharma can break free from slump | Cricket News – The Times of India
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‘The problem lies in his…’: Irfan Pathan reveals how Abhishek Sharma can break free from slump | Cricket News – The Times of India


‘The problem lies in his…’: Irfan Pathan reveals how Abhishek Sharma can break free from slump | Cricket News – The Times of India
Abhishek Sharma (AP Photo)

NEW DELHI: As defending champions India prepare for a high-stakes Super 8 showdown against South Africa in Ahmedabad, former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has pinpointed the technical and tactical adjustments Abhishek Sharma must make to overcome his alarming slump at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Abhishek, the world’s No. 1 T20I batter, has endured a nightmare run, registering a hat-trick of ducks and struggling particularly against off-spin. Pathan believes the root cause lies in the opener’s shot selection and approach rather than his natural technique.

India fire on all cylinders in the nets ahead of South Africa match

“Abhishek Sharma is getting out to off-spinners. Against Pakistan and the Netherlands, off-spinners got him. The problem lies in his shot selection,” Pathan said on JioHotstar.Explaining the flaw, Pathan noted that Abhishek is trying to dominate too early instead of settling in.“His bat comes down from a high angle, and he is not looking to hit straight. He is trying to play across the wicket. That is getting him into trouble,” he said. “He moves his front foot away to create room, but bowlers are not giving him room. These are not drivable balls.”

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However, Pathan warned against drastic changes, urging the youngster to trust his natural game while making smarter decisions.“His bat angle is coming across, which is natural to him. He does not need to change that. If he tries to change it now, it will be a mess,” he explained. “First things first, get a single, get off the mark. Expect the spinner to come in, get to the other end, and target the fast bowlers. He does not need to bludgeon from the first ball.”While Abhishek has struggled, Pathan reserved glowing praise for fellow opener Ishan Kishan, who has been one of the tournament’s standout performers.“Ishan Kishan is in the form of his life. He is playing the leg side really well. He targets square-leg and fine-leg,” Pathan said. “If you give him leg-side deliveries at the start, it’s trouble.”But he also issued a word of caution ahead of the South Africa test.“Against South Africa, I want to see what Kishan does when they bowl wide and make him play on the off-side early. He has improved a lot, but only after getting set,” he added.