Rishabh Pant's Remarkable Turnaround: From Uncertainty to Dominance Against England

For Rishabh Pant, a quote that read, “Everyone works to be seen. I work to disappear,” served as his Whatsapp display picture for five years. This was during the pandemic lockdown when Pant was uncertain about his place in the Indian team. However, he spectacularly turned things around with two memorable innings in Sydney and Brisbane in 2020-21.

Fast forward to March 2025, Pant uninstalled Whatsapp and minimized mobile phone usage to declutter his mind after a chaotic cricket season. His front-flip celebration after scoring a century in the Headingley Test, mirroring his IPL milestone celebration, signified his satisfaction with this turnaround.

Pant’s recent form boasts centuries in his last three innings across formats, a feat few envisioned just 45 days prior. While his return to form seems straightforward, those close to him describe the preceding 45 days as the most challenging of his career.

Rishabh Pant demonstrates his batting prowess.

Devender Sharma, Pant's childhood coach, noted that Pant realized the situation was critical after his reckless dismissal in the MCG Test, famously criticized by Sunil Gavaskar.

Following that, Pant displayed grit in the next Test, absorbing blows to score 40 on a challenging Sydney pitch before unleashing his natural instincts to score 61 off 33 balls. The question remained: which version of Pant was the authentic one?

After losing his spot in the ODI XI and a poor IPL season, Pant revealed in an interview that he was practicing intensely, resulting in blisters on his palms.

He confided that overthinking was exacerbating his struggles and decided to isolate himself from criticism. Soham Desai, Team India’s former strength and conditioning coach, recalled Pant's rigorous training during his benching in the Champions Trophy.

Desai recounted, “He did the most intense sessions, day in and day out... He didn’t care about fatigue or workload programmes. All he said was he needed to keep working on himself." Desai added that Pant's natural talent would sustain him for at least a year, explaining his agility during the Headingley Test.

Despite his efforts, results remained elusive. The turning point occurred when Pant consulted Devender Sharma shortly before the IPL's suspension due to tensions with Pakistan.

Rishabh Pant consults with his coach, Devender Sharma.

Devender shared, “When he called me, he kept saying that he was training very hard... I told him it didn’t seem like he was working on his defence... I told him to play close to his body and trust his technique to middle the ball more often.”

The conversation lasted for hours, focusing on reinforcing Pant's belief in scoring quickly and significantly by hitting in front of the wicket, his established approach.

Following their discussion, Pant felt a resurgence in his batting confidence, highlighted by his powerful shots against Kagiso Rabada. His self-correction on the stump mic at Headingley, reminding himself to avoid risky shots and focus on conventional scoring, underscored his renewed focus.

Pant's career is a captivating narrative, marked by consistent performance and a desire for more. As India's leading Test batter in recent years, he now faces the challenge of maintaining his form and leading the team, particularly in England.