Rishabh Pant’s toughest test: Why the Delhi Dasher is fighting for survival across all formats

Once India’s fearless wicketkeeper-batter, Rishabh Pant is now struggling for a fixed place in Tests, ODIs and T20Is, with poor form, injury setbacks and strong competition pushing him to the edge.

Rishabh Pant, one of India’s most explosive wicketkeeper-batters, is currently facing the most difficult phase of his international career. The Delhi-born cricketer is battling to secure a permanent spot in all three formats, Tests, One-Day Internationals and T20 Internationals, as form, fitness and competition work against him.

Pant’s recent performances have raised serious concerns within the selection committee and team management. His disappointing showing in the South Africa Test series proved costly, as he failed to make an impact despite multiple opportunities. As a result, the selectors appear to have moved on, at least for now.

Questions are increasingly being asked about Pant’s consistency. During the England Test series, he suffered a right foot injury that ruled him out mid-series. Although he recovered fully before the South Africa ‘A’ series, his return to red-ball cricket did not go as planned. His struggles continued in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he failed in the opening match and followed it up with a half-century in the second game, an effort seen as insufficient to offset earlier failures.

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In T20 cricket, Pant’s road looks nearly closed. Poor form and inconsistency have cost him his place, and he was ignored for the World Cup squad. Ishan Kishan, once his closest competitor and friend, has surged ahead with strong domestic performances, effectively pushing Pant out of T20 contention.

The ODI format offers little comfort either. Karnataka’s K.L. Rahul has firmly established himself as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter, both behind the stumps and with the bat. Pant has been struggling to break into the ODI setup for over a year, making a comeback in limited-overs cricket a tough challenge.

Even in Tests, Pant faces stiff resistance. Apart from Rahul, young Dhruv Jurel has emerged as a serious contender. With two competitors ahead of him, Pant must deliver consistent runs in domestic or international cricket to re-enter the conversation.

For now, Pant’s path in Indian cricket looks uncertain and demanding. However, known as a fighter who has already overcome life-threatening setbacks, fans still believe he can script a comeback, if he rediscovers form and consistency in time.

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