Rishabh Pant not a finisher: Pujara advices LSG skipper to not go MS Dhoni manner

Veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara mentioned that Rishabh Pant shouldn’t attempt to go the MS Dhoni manner. On Tuesday, April 22, Pant batted at No.7 as Lucknow Tremendous Giants (LSG) slumped to an eight-wicket defeat to Axar Patel’s Delhi Capitals (DC) on the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

Pant got here to bat with two balls left in LSG’s innings after which Mukesh Kumar, who took 4 wickets, dismissed him. Pujara mentioned that the left-handed Pant isn’t a finisher and is most geared up to bat within the center overs.

“I genuinely do not know what the thought course of was. However there is no doubt – he must be batting greater up the order. He is attempting to do what MS Dhoni does, however he is nowhere close to that degree. I nonetheless really feel he is somebody who must be batting throughout the center overs, between the sixth and fifteenth. He is not a finisher, and he should not be doing the job of 1,” Pujara advised ESPNcricinfo.

‘Simply so weird’

After the trio of Mitchell Marsh, Aiden Markram, and Nicholas Pooran, LSG promoted Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, and David Miller up the order, whereas Pant was pushed down the lineup. Former England batter Nick Knight commented that though Badoni and Miller could be extra prone to rating runs than Pant in the meanwhile, it doesn’t look good when a captain demotes himself. Knight emphasised that Pant must be main from the entrance, particularly when his group wants him essentially the most.

“I am saying this as a result of it is simply so weird. The way in which I see it, I do not actually have an issue with Badoni batting at 4 or 5. I can see some rationale there—he’s enjoying properly, and truthfully, I believe he’s extra prone to rating runs than Pant proper now. You may most likely say the identical about somebody like David Miller,” Knight mentioned.

“So, once you have a look at it from a decision-making viewpoint, there’s some logic. However the place I actually don’t love it’s the way it appears. Pant is your captain, and seeing your captain sliding down the order, taking a step again when the group actually wants him to step up—it simply doesn’t sit proper. He is the one who stands in entrance of the group, the one main them on the market. And when your chief goes the opposite manner, it doesn’t ship a terrific message. That, greater than something, is my subject,” Knight added.

The Tremendous Giants will look to bounce again after they subsequent lock horns with the Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) on April 27 on the Wankhede Stadium.