Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant’s DRS blunder in Delhi and schoolboy error in Rajkot left many disappointed. And the Sri Lankan veteran Kumar Sangakkara feels the youngster has to understand what his role is in terms of helping his skipper, keeping in mind the T20 World Cup around the corner.
During the first T20I against Bangladesh in Delhi, Pant made DRS errors twice in a single over of Yuzvendra Chahal. These faults by Pant change the complexion of the game as Bangladesh beat India by seven wickets in the series opener.
In the second T20I played at the SCA stadium in Rajkot, leg-spinner Chahal had almost dismissed Liton Das. Still, it was Pant’s faulty collection that gave a lifeline to the Bangladeshi opener. Pant made the schoolboy error by collecting the ball in front of the stumps before trying to effect a stumping, and it was therefore declared a no-ball.
While many lashed out at Pant for his silly mistakes in the ongoing series, Sangakkara came out with a piece of crucial advice for the under-fire wicketkeeper.
Sangakkara has suggested the youngster keep things simple while batting and keeping as well if he wants to regain his lost confidence.
“If you are looking at the World Cup, it’s important for him (Pant) to understand what his role is in terms of helping his captain with the right information,” Sangakkara told the official broadcasters of the India-Bangladesh series.
“However, at the same time as a wicketkeeper, it’s important to be neat and tidy behind the stumps, which will give him confidence and put him in a better position to help his captain in calling for reviews.”
“It’s important for him to keep things simple and understand his weakness. Once he is able to work on these areas, he needs to strategize and plan, because for him right now, he needs to keep things simple and not be under pressure. It’s also important for someone to talk to him on his batting and keep him off the pressure and let him be free with his game,” Sanga added.
