Rishabh Pant wants to make white-ball return for India: Yuvraj defends struggling batter
Yuvraj Singh supports Rishabh Pant's efforts to regain form and confidence to return to India's limited-overs set-up. Despite recent struggles, Pant is training closely with Yuvraj, who believes the wicketkeeper-batter is in a better mental space ahead of the IPL.
Former Indian World Cup-winning all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has revealed that his new protege, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, is keen on improving his batting struggles in white-ball cricket and returning to the Indian set-up.
Pant last played for India in the white-ball format in August 2024, when the team toured Sri Lanka for a three-match ODI and T20 series. During the series, he was included in only three games, scoring 57 runs with 51 of them coming in the T20I series.
He was also part of the 2025 Champions Trophy-winning squad in the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, but didn’t get to play a single game, with fellow keeper-batter KL Rahul remaining the first choice.
“He is someone who wants to move forward with his cricket and do better. He wants to perform and get back into white-ball cricket,” Yuvraj said in a podcast with India Today’s sister channel Sports Tak.
Pant, who is the most expensive buy in Indian Premier League history, was seen practising with Yuvraj in Mumbai in March to sharpen his batting and temperament.
“If I can push him mentally, then I believe he will be in a better space. And I feel like he is in a better space, and this IPL you will definitely see a different Rishabh Pant,” he added.
HOW YUVRAJ IS GUIDING INIDA'S NEXT GEN
The Player of the Tournament from the 2011 ICC World Cup has played mentor to many present-day Indian cricket stars like Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill and star openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Yuvraj believes it works better when he sits down and talks things through with his mentees, allowing him to better understand their mental state.
In this regard, Yuvraj explained how he opts for spent 3–4 days with Rishabh Pant, talking things out.
Pant’s white-ball struggles are well known. The southpaw managed just one century and a half-century last season as the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants. During the season, he maintained a strike rate of over 133 with an average of 24.45. He was also part of India's T20 World Cup winning squad in 2024, scoring 171 runs in 8 innings at an average of 24.42 and a strike rate of 127.61.
Pant will next be in action in the IPL against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on 5 April.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
Former Indian World Cup-winning all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has revealed that his new protege, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, is keen on improving his batting struggles in white-ball cricket and returning to the Indian set-up.
Pant last played for India in the white-ball format in August 2024, when the team toured Sri Lanka for a three-match ODI and T20 series. During the series, he was included in only three games, scoring 57 runs with 51 of them coming in the T20I series.
He was also part of the 2025 Champions Trophy-winning squad in the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, but didn’t get to play a single game, with fellow keeper-batter KL Rahul remaining the first choice.
“He is someone who wants to move forward with his cricket and do better. He wants to perform and get back into white-ball cricket,” Yuvraj said in a podcast with India Today’s sister channel Sports Tak.
Pant, who is the most expensive buy in Indian Premier League history, was seen practising with Yuvraj in Mumbai in March to sharpen his batting and temperament.
“If I can push him mentally, then I believe he will be in a better space. And I feel like he is in a better space, and this IPL you will definitely see a different Rishabh Pant,” he added.
HOW YUVRAJ IS GUIDING INIDA'S NEXT GEN
The Player of the Tournament from the 2011 ICC World Cup has played mentor to many present-day Indian cricket stars like Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill and star openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Yuvraj believes it works better when he sits down and talks things through with his mentees, allowing him to better understand their mental state.
In this regard, Yuvraj explained how he opts for spent 3–4 days with Rishabh Pant, talking things out.
Pant’s white-ball struggles are well known. The southpaw managed just one century and a half-century last season as the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants. During the season, he maintained a strike rate of over 133 with an average of 24.45. He was also part of India's T20 World Cup winning squad in 2024, scoring 171 runs in 8 innings at an average of 24.42 and a strike rate of 127.61.
Pant will next be in action in the IPL against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on 5 April.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
