Rishabh Pant, who was bought for INR 27 crore by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL mega auction last year, is reportedly not in the scheme of things for the Asia Cup.After reports suggested the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and B Sai Sudharsan were set to be snubbed by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, it has now been reported that Rishabh Pant, the most-expensive buy in Indian Premier League (IPL) history, is set to be snubbed too.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir is reportedly in no mood to tinker with the squad for the Asia Cup, a tournament that will also help him shape the squad for the T20 World Cup next year. Rishabh Pant, despite being the most expensive player in IPL history, hasn’t had T20 performances going his way for a while.
All of Rishabh Pant’s last 5 T20I games came last year, in which he aggregated a woeful 70 runs at an average of 17.50. His strike rate in these matches was just 127.26. A lot more is expected from a player who broke all records with his sale in the IPL, the world’s no. 1 T20 league.
Rishabh Pant’s T20I and IPL career
Rishabh Pant’s T20I journey began in 2017, making him the youngest player to debut for India in T20 Internationals at the time. Although his T20I career had its ups and downs, Rishabh Pant displayed his potential with quick knocks and lightning-fast stumpings. He was named captain for the T20I series against South Africa in 2022, becoming the second-youngest Indian captain in the format. The left-hander was also a part of the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad, where he played a crucial role with both and gloves.
Rishabh Pant’s role in the Indian T20 team has often been compared to that of MS Dhoni, and while these comparisons can be a double-edged sword, Rishabh Pant has shown glimpses of brilliance that signal a long and successful career ahead. His innovative shot-making and fearless approach are a perfect fit for the shortest format of the game.
Rishabh Pant’s Indian Premier League career is one for the highlight reels. Bought by Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2016, Pant wasted no time in making an impact. In the 2018 season, Rishabh Pant lit up the tournament with an unbeaten 128 off 63 balls, the then-highest individual score by an Indian in IPL history.
Rishabh Pant was appointed captain of Delhi Capitals in 2021 after Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to injury. Though a car accident in December 2022 put a temporary halt to his IPL captaincy, Rishabh Pant made a return in 2024, leading Delhi Capitals once again. In the IPL 2025, Pant was bought by the Lucknow Super Giants, hoping for a change of fortunes for the franchise. However, apart from the century in the later part of the tournament, the most expensive player in the season, Rishabh Pant couldn’t do much for the team.
In the recently concluded Anderson Tendulkar Trophy Rishabh Pant slammed 479 runs in 4 tests at an average of 68.42 with 3 half centuries and 2 centuries. However, he missed the last test due to a fracture on his right foot and will not feature in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 beginning in UAE on September 9th. Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina when asked about Rishabh Pant was optimistic regarding his return to Indian T20I setup.
Suresh Raina supports Rishabh Pant to be an integral part of T20I squad for India
Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has backed wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for the inclusion in the T20I team. During the conversation with Shubhankar Mishra, Suresh Raina was asked whether Rishabh Pant should beb the part of Indian T20I setup to which he responded :
“He should come back. In the last game (IPL), he scored a century. This year, there was a bit of pressure, the kind of tag that sometimes comes as an expensive player. I think he managed really well. I think he didn’t score runs this year, because he always performs well in the IPL.”
Suresh Raina added that although Rishabh Pant struggled with form in IPL 2025, he is likely to perform better in the next season, having now understood his new team environment, the 38-year old said :
“This year it was a new team, new captain, after Delhi he went to that franchise. Next year, Rishabh’s performance will be a bit different because now he has understood the environment, which players have the ability to change the game.”
“And there was also a new coaching setup there. It takes a year for any team, as I said earlier, earlier there were eight teams and now there are 10, and everyone comes prepared. They do homework on every player, because after your 15 to 19 players, there are 10 to 15 support staff there. They keep looking for weaknesses in players. So next year when he comes, I think he will definitely do well,” the former India batter added.
Leading Lucknow Super Giants(LSG) in 2025, Rishabh Pant scored 269 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24,45 with a strike rate of 133.16 with one fifty and one century to his name. It is well noted that Rishabh Pant was the part of the Indian team under Rohit Sharma that won the 2024 T20 World Cup. He scored 171 runs in 8 matches at an average of 24,42 with a strike rate of 127.61 and a highest score of 42. Overall Rishabh Pant has played 76 T20Is scoring 1209 runs at an average of 23.25, with a strike rate of 127.26 , including 3 fifties.
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