Last Updated: June 5, 2026 02:31 PM
Gautam Gambhir finally spoke to the media about Rishabh Pant’s vice-captaincy removal. He had a long chat with Pant about his conduct as a senior player. How to respect match situations better. The coach was really clear about things.
Gambhir said he supports Pant completely but the guy needs to adapt. His flamboyant style gets him in trouble. Sometimes it produces brilliant performances while other times it leads to careless shots. Big shots in tricky situations basically. That’s cost Pant his vice-captaincy role.
International cricket requires discipline apparently. You can’t always just play wild shots. Match situations demand different approaches. Pant needs to understand this better. Gautam Gambhir emphasized this in their talk. The coach wants him to learn. Respect the game situation every time.
“We don’t want Rishabh Pant to change but international cricket demands players to respect match situations,” Gambhir said.
Pant’s Vice-Captaincy Removal and Its Impact
Pant’s vice-captaincy removal happened recently. KL Rahul got the role instead, and that’s a huge demotion for Pant. He was the vice-captain of India and now he’s not even in that conversation. The removal shows serious issues.
Pant also resigned from LSG captaincy after the terrible IPL 2026 season. 4 wins in 14 matches as he lost confidence probably. Too much pressure being captain. Now back to being just a player. Two major demotions in a short span.
But Gautam Gambhir backs him honestly. The coach believes Pant can improve; he just needs to change his approach. Respect match situations more carefully. Then he could get back in favor, as his talent is completely undeniable.
Rishabh Pant’s Record and Current Situation
Pant’s Test cricket record is excellent, 3476 runs in 49 Test matches. Average of nearly 43 and that’s world-class in Test cricket. 8 centuries as well which is great. Best among all Indian wicketkeepers. His Test form is really solid.
But white ball cricket is different. ODI average is only 33.50, and T20I average is just 23.25. That’s poor by his standards. Gautam Gambhir prefers other keepers now.
KL Rahul gets more chances in white-ball cricket. Ishan Kishan also plays ahead in T20I. Sanju Samson is another option too.
So Pant is largely sidelined currently. From white ball selections basically. Only plays Test cricket for India but even that role is unclear. After losing the vice captaincy his future seems safe honestly.
Everything depends on how he adapts. Can he change his aggressive approach? Can he respect match situations? The answers will determine his comeback basically.
