Kiran More Offers Support to Rishabh Pant Amid IPL Struggles

Former Indian cricketer Kiran More has come forward to support Rishabh Pant, who is currently facing difficulties in the IPL with the Lucknow Super Giants. After a disappointing season, Pant has lost his vice-captaincy in the Test squad, but More believes this phase is a natural part of a cricketer's journey. He emphasizes Pant's potential to bounce back and contribute significantly to India's Test victories. Despite his struggles in the IPL, where he has only scored 286 runs in 12 innings, More remains optimistic about Pant's future in cricket.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 22, 2026, 02:11 IST

Encouragement for Rishabh Pant

Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 22: Kiran More, a former Indian cricketer and current chairman of selectors, has expressed his support for wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who has faced challenges this IPL season with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Following a disappointing performance, Pant has been stripped of his vice-captaincy in the Test squad.

Pant's recent struggles have not only affected his standing in limited-overs cricket, as he was left out of India's ODI team for the upcoming series against Afghanistan, but his Test position has also been compromised with KL Rahul taking over the vice-captaincy for the one-off Test starting June 6.

In a conversation with a news outlet, More described Rishabh as a "fantastic player and a fighter," emphasizing that every cricketer goes through tough phases. He remains optimistic about Pant's ability to bounce back and contribute significantly to India's Test victories, especially given his impressive track record in challenging conditions abroad.

More views Pant's removal from the vice-captaincy not as a setback but as an opportunity for him to play more freely. He stated, "Rishabh Pant is a terrific player and a fighter, and this is the phase that comes in every cricketer's life. It does not matter if you are captain or vice-captain; your goal is to win matches for India. He will definitely make a comeback and help India win Test matches."

In the current IPL season, Pant has struggled to replicate his earlier success, accumulating only 286 runs in 12 innings at an average of 28.60 and a strike rate exceeding 140, with just one half-century. His team is currently at the bottom of the points table, having secured only four wins out of 13 matches, thus missing the playoffs.

India's Test squad for the Afghanistan series includes: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel.

India's ODI squad for the Afghanistan series features: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.