Rishabh Pant is the new India Test vice-captain.
Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar has given valuable advice to new vice-captain Rishabh Pant about his batting ahead of the five-Test series between India and England that begins on June 20 in Leeds.
The series is important not just for the WTC cycle but also because it is the longest format to start India's changeover period. A comparatively younger Indian team will be looking to establish itself in Test cricket as a result of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's retirement from the format.
Rishabh Pant, the wicketkeeper-batter, will be Shubman Gill's deputy when he takes the team's captaincy for the first time.
Pant will still bat at number five in the Test team, but his attitude and style are under more scrutiny now that he has been given more leadership responsibilities. Long renowned for his daring strokeplay, the energetic wicketkeeper-batter is now facing mounting calls for maturity, particularly in light of the criticism he received during India's 2024–2025 tour of Australia.
Indian great Sachin Tendulkar has now emphasized the need for Pant to change. Although Tendulkar did advise Pant to follow his gut, he also emphasized that the southpaw needs to bat more responsibly if he is to reach his full potential in the longest format.
"He [Pant] should back his instincts most of the time. But there'll be situations where he'll have to curb his game in the interests of the team. I know that whatever he does the rest of the time will also be in the interest of the team, but the approach might have to be different. He has to have that flexibility in his mind.
If there are times when you're looking to save the game, then he may have to adapt that defensive approach for, let's say, an hour or 45 minutes or sometimes two hours, where he'll have to just take those risky shots out of the game and not be as aggressive. He could be positive, but the shot selection will come into play,” Tendulkar was quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
Tendulkar also discussed how, if he were the Indian captain, he would deal with Rishabh Pant. He said that although he would give the batter-keeper carte blanche in his aggressive style, he would want Pant to play sensibly if India had to win the game.
"Nine out of ten times, if I'm the captain, I'll say, 'Just go out and play your game; why worry about anything?' If you're looking to save the game, that is when the approach changes a bit, but otherwise I would tell him that you go out and be yourself and do what you feel is in the best interest of the team," said Tendulkar.