In the post-match press conference after India’s loss to New Zealand in the Test Series, skipper Virat Kohli has stated that although Rishabh Pant has been given “a lot of chances” but the team is still looking to stick with him for now as one batsman can’t be singled out when the entire batting unit failed.
Notably, Pant’s performances both behind and in front of the stumps was being closely monitored by fans, critics as well as the team management over the last year. His tally of 60 runs in the two-match Test series and decent skills on display behind the wickets has yet again ignited the debate whether it is worth leaving somebody like Wriddhiman Saha and back Rishabh Pant.
“…we have given him (Pant) a lot of chances in the home season as well starting from Australia. Then he was not playing for a bit. In turn, he really worked hard on himself,” Kohli told reporters as quoted by PTI.
“You need to figure out when is the right time to give someone else a chance. If you push people too early, they can lose confidence,” he added.
“…collectively, we didn’t perform. I don’t believe in singling him out. We take the hit together as a group whether it’s the batting group or as a team,” he further said.
“I don’t see anyone taking his place for granted in this team. That’s the culture we have set. People are told to take responsibilities and work hard. Whether it happens or not is a different thing. Then you can have a conversation with the players,” he said when quizzed if Pant had taken his place in the team for granted.
“But no one has come here thinking I am going to play every game or I am indispensable,” he added.
Kohli added that Pant, on his day, can easily make an impact in overseas conditions.
“The time that he didn’t play, he really worked hard on his game. So we thought this is the right time because of his game and the way he plays because he can make a difference lower down the order,” the skipper stated.
“That was our planning behind it. We can’t really fluctuate when it comes to what we planned,” he explained.