Inzamam however backed Pant to come good in upcoming matches.
23-year-old Rishabh Pant might have led India to a five-wicket win in the first T20I in Jaipur over New Zealand, but his scratchy innings led to many reactions from the cricket fraternity including former Pakistan captain Inzamam Ul Haq.
Thanks to two wickets each from R Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and despite half-centuries from Martin Guptill and Mark Chapman, India managed to keep New Zealand to 164/6 after asking them to bat.
In reply, India was in firm control until the 15-over mark and appeared to be cruising towards the target, before Kiwi bowlers applied the squeeze and made the chase tricky for the Men in Blue. As Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer got out in quick succession, India sweated to knock off the remaining runs.
Finally, a boundary each from Venkatesh Iyer and Rishabh Pant sealed the game for India in the last over with 10 required. Pant made a scrappy 17* in 17 balls and his knock didn’t make a good impression on Pakistani batting legend Inzamam Ul Haq.
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"I had a lot of expectations from Rishabh Pant. The way he has performed in the last two years, I rated him highly. I saw him play in Australia, then against England when they toured India earlier this year. The conditions he played in. I thought that like Dhoni when the top order fails, he makes up for it at the bottom. I felt that Pant is that sort of player. But since the World Cup, he hasn't lived up to my expectations," Inzamam said on his YouTube channel.
Inzamam is confident that it is only a matter of time before the world gets to see Pant back at his swashbuckling best. He also said that Pant’s USP is to not get affected by pressure, which is why it is was a bit odd to see the batter struggle to get going.
"He appeared under pressure. Earlier as well, he has been under pressure, but he always used to hit his way out of it. So lately, he hasn't lived up to my expectations. He scored 17 off 17 but having said that, he is a treat to watch. He must have realized it and I'm certain he will improve his game," added Inzamam.