“He (Pant) should be in the Andre Russell mold in this format of the game,” says Ravi Shastri

Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant has not been able to take good advantage of the good starts that he has got in the ongoing IPL 2022 while DC now needs to win all their remaining three matches to qualify for the play-offs.

Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant has not been able to take good advantage of the good starts that he has got in the ongoing IPL 2022. The hard-hitter batter has scored 281 runs in 11 games at a strike rate of 152.71. 

However, he is the DC’s second-highest run-scorer in the ongoing IPL but he couldn’t able to manage to score a half-century. His innings have returned in DC’s show too. DC has won five matches out of their 11 and is in the fifth position in the points table. 

While qualifying for the play-offs, the Pant-led DC need to pull up their socks starting from their match against the third-place Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday. Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has a word of advice for the 24-year-old Pant.

“I feel once he gets the tempo going he shouldn’t change, he should be in the (Andre) Russell mold in this format of the game,”

Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo’s ‘T20 Time Out’.

“You get your eye in, you’re striking it well – don’t think too much. No matter who the bowler is, if it’s there to be smacked, smack it. Who knows, you might win more matches than people expect you to.”

Shastri feels what sets Andre Russell, one of the most destructive batters in T20 cricket, apart from the other is the clarity of the mindset, which will also serve Pant, who is capable of playing aggressive knocks.

“Russell is very, very clear in his mindset. It is bang-bang-bang once he’s in the mood. There’s no stopping him, there’s not even a negative thought that will peep through his system – it is (all about) smacking.

“Rishabh is capable of playing in that fashion and I hope he thinks in that way because you’ll see some special innings from him in T20 cricket. He’s getting off to starts and then getting out in a manner which he wouldn’t like, but I don’t think he should change his tempo,”

added Shastri.

Former New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori feels Pant is his best when he is hasty and thrashing the position.

“Rishabh Pant is almost at his best when he’s reckless, and we’ve seen him play some exceptional innings when he just continues to take teams downtime and time again,”

Vettori said.

The capitals have needed a quality finisher and Pant has adopted a conservative approach out of a sense of responsibility.

“It’s a team game, you don’t expect an individual to go and win the game all the time. But in that short time, if he does the damage, there’s enough damage to bring that required rate from say 12 and over to 10 and over. Then it’s for the other guys to take it home,”

Vettori added.

Now, DC needs to win all their remaining three matches to qualify for the play-offs and Shastri wants Pant to come to bat at number 3.

“I’d like to see him bat at three for Delhi Capitals, especially now when the heat is on when they’ve got to win. Let him go and smack it.”