Rishabh Pant will be given a "rap on the knuckles" if he continues to repeat his mistakes despite being a fantastic raw talent, said India head coach Ravi Shastri prior to the washed-out first T20I versus South Africa in Dharamshala this Sunday (September 15). 

Pant has been widely criticised for his wicketkeeping abilities and the tendency to throw away his wicket when the team could do with some prudent decision making at the crease from him. And Shastri, in an interview with Star Sports, said: "We’ll let him be but at times when you see a shot, like the first ball dismissal in Trinidad, if he repeats that, then he will be told. There will be a rap on the knuckles, talent or no talent."

"As simple as that. Because you are letting the team down, forget letting yourselves down. In a situation where you have the captain at the other end, a target to chase, the need of the hour is sensible cricket."

"No one will even think of changing his style. Like Virat said, reading the situation, match-awareness and shot-selection becomes crucial. If he can fathom that, he could be unstoppable." 

"It could take one game, it could take four games. He has played so much IPL cricket, he will learn. It’s time now for him to step up and show how devastating he can be."

Sitting alongside Ravi was skipper Virat Kohli, who added: "The only expectation from Rishabh is that he read situations well. We don’t expect him to play the way you might be thinking. It is about analysing a situation and dealing with it in your own way."

"Someone like Rishabh will hit five boundaries in a difficult situation compared to me, who likes to take a singles or twos and get out of it."

"Everyone has their own game but reading the situation and decision-making is an expectation from everyone in the team, not just Rishabh."