Former India opener Aakash Chopra has expressed concern about Rishabh Pant's pattern of dismissals in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa, saying that it is not his form that is concerning, but rather his failure to counter the Proteas' approach.
Rishabh Pant has collected only 57 runs in four home matches against the hosts. The stand-in captain has struggled to get going under pressure. In three of the four games, Pant has been caught chasing wide deliveries.
In the 4th T20I at the SCA Stadium in Rajkot, Pant was dismissed by left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj who bowled wide outside off to the 24-year-old southpaw. Pant tried to chase the ball and go aerial but got a thick outside edge and was caught at the point.
"More than his form, he is falling prey to South Africa's strategy. That's the big question. The visitors are bowling outside the off-stump repeatedly and he gets trapped," Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube show.
"As we have discussed already, there are two options to play those deliveries. Either you move a bit and play it over long-off or play it down the ground towards the off side," added Chopra.
Pant has failed to recreate his Test cricket form in T20I cricket. In 47 games, Pant has scored 740 runs at an average of just above 23 runs per innings.
Pant may have been selected as the skipper of the T20I squad for the home series against South Africa, but Chopra believes he must score runs to preserve his spot in the shortest form of the game.
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Ishan Kishan, Dinesh Karthik, and Sanju Samson are all competing for a berth in India's T20 World Cup lineup, while KL Rahul, who can also keep wickets, is a foregone conclusion.
"Getting out, in the same way, is a big question. He might be the captain for now but who knows because this Team India keeps changes on the basis of individual performances. So, Pant has to get back on the saddle because after this he won't play in Ireland. Instead, he will go to England for the 5th Test. He needs the form," said Chopra.
Pant will captain India in the series finale in Bengaluru on Sunday, June 19, after which he will join the Indian Test squad in the United Kingdom for the one-off Test against England on July 1.
