Aakash Chopra advised Rishabh Pant to score big in IPL 2025 to secure a spot in India’s T20I team for the 2026 World Cup.
Lucknow Super Giants captain Rishabh Pant must deliver a strong IPL 2025 season to re-enter India’s T20I squad. The left-hander, part of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning team, has since struggled to secure a place in the playing XI. He did not feature in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, raising concerns about his role in the national setup.
Former India batter Aakash Chopra believes Pant must dominate this IPL season to challenge players like Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill for a T20 World Cup 2026 spot. His batting position remains uncertain, with options ranging from opening to middle order.
“Rishabh Pant has a big opportunity. He is currently not a part of the T20 team. He is not even part of their scheme of things. People are surprised why such a strong player cannot get a consistent run in T20s. So, this is your season, sir. Come and score so many runs so that everyone is shaken,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“Where he would bat would be a question. There are a lot of discussions that he would open as keepers are batting there. You don’t have to compete with Sanju Samson. You have to make your own place properly. There is no need to bat above No. 3 or No. 4. If you get a great start, come at No. 3, keep all three left-handers at four, five and six, and go after every bowler,” he added.
Can Rishabh Pant Deliver as Captain?
Chopra also believes this season is a major opportunity for Rishabh Pant to prove himself both as a captain and a batter.
“There are two things. Firstly, take the team forward. Then you get recognized more as a captain. Secondly, you return to reckoning regarding the T20I team if you score runs. I am still not convinced that the T20 team playing will also play next year in the World Cup. The T20 selections will be very dynamic,” the former batter said.
READ ALSO | ‘I Deserve This Price’: Yuzvendra Chahal Confident About INR 18 Crore IPL Price Tag
“So this IPL will play a huge role in who is moving forward and able to make his place again. So I see a huge opportunity for Rishabh Pant as a captain with a new franchise and as a batter,” Aakash Chopra also added.
Notably, LSG paid INR 27 crore for Pant and handed him the captaincy. The franchise begins its IPL 2025 campaign against Delhi Capitals on March 24 at the ACA International Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
