August 7, 2024, was the last time Rishabh Pant played an ODI for India. It’s been two years since, and while Pant continues to establish his legacy in Tests, his white-ball stocks have continued to dwindle. Pant has played far fewer ODIs than Tests and T20Is. In the 31 ODIs he has played, Pant has scored just 871 runs at an average of 33.50, with a best of 125 not out against England in 2022. It remains his only century in the format, to go with five half-centuries.
When India’s squad for the West Indies ODIs was announced, Pant once again found himself sidelined. Being appointed captain of the Rest of India team for the Irani Cup tie would have come as little compensation, with Pant still harbouring ambitions of playing ODIs for India again. His feelings about being out of the team are no different from those of any other player struggling to find a place in the side, and those emotions were on display as he opened up about his absence from the set-up.
“Definitely, you feel bad when something like this happens. But an athlete’s mindset allows you to feel that when there’s a setback, there is always a comeback. These are things that, as an athlete, you have to deal with in your day-to-day life. People say this happened to me, that happened to me, but for an athlete, this is part and parcel of the game. But at the same time, you know how hard you’re working, and you’re clear in your path to maintain at this level,” Pant said on the Business of Sport podcast.
“To make it happen every day, there is a voice in your head that is very constant in a very disciplined manner. The only thing is it’s easier to pass opinions all the time, but at the same time, people have to wait for things to happen.”
How Pant’s position slipped
Pant’s unfortunate accident cost him a year of professional cricket, including the 2023 World Cup. With Pant out, KL Rahul has established himself as India’s primary wicketkeeper-batter. Rahul’s rise has been such that even Ishan Kishan, who holds the record for the fastest ODI double century, hasn’t been able to establish himself as an integral part of India’s 50-over side. Dhruv Jurel, too, is part of India’s squad for the West Indies ODIs, suggesting that Pant’s chances of a comeback appear increasingly bleak, with Rahul, Ishan, and now Jurel climbing the pecking order.
“There is no doubt that I have to make it happen, because for me, I feel like I haven’t had the best of opportunities to give my best, but at the same time, international cricket is changing. Sometimes you have to wait for the chance and make things happen,” Pant added.
