Rishabh Pant has been sidelined from the Indian ODI side and has been snubbed from vice-captaincy in red-ball cricket; however, ex-India selector Kiran More has backed him to overcome his lean patch and bounce back in the game.
Rishabh Pant has scored just 286 runs across 13 matches in this season of the IPL 2026, and under his leadership, the Lucknow Super Giants have not managed to advance to the playoffs for two consecutive seasons.
Amid such a dismal season for the Indian superstar, he has now been sidelined from the Indian squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. It features Ishan Kishan as KL Rahul’s second in command as a wicketkeeper-batter.
“I am not disappointed at all” – Rishabh Pant receives intense batting from ex-selector Kiran More
Former Indian wicketkeeper and ex-India selector Kiran More has backed Rishabh Pant despite his recent struggles in international as well as franchise cricket. Pant was recently replaced by KL Rahul as India’s Test vice-captain, following that tragic whitewash against South Africa under Pant’s captaincy.
“No, it’s nothing like that; I am not disappointed at all. Pant is in the team, and I am very happy. He is a fighter, a player with immense courage, has a big heart, and has performed exceptionally well, winning (Test) matches single-handedly. I have worked quite closely with him, and I know him very well.
“Every cricketer goes through a phase like this; you pass through such times. So I think there will definitely be a great comeback, and a strong comeback. When his life was saved, and he returned to the team, he performed so well, so this (current phase) is nothing compared to that,” More told IANS on Thursday.
Kiran More praises Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, calls him a ‘special player’
After lauding Rishabh Pant, More went on to praise another southpaw in Indian cricket. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the young starlet from India, has shocked fans all over the world with his aggressive intent and his resilience in front of world-class cricketers.
“No, look, he is a special player, and God has created and sent him, so I think it’s a great thing that he sent him to India. You will keep watching him, as he will score a lot of runs in the future.
The young batter who has amassed 579 runs in 13 matches this season, while striking the ball at a whopping 236.22, is described as a rare talent. More claimed that even if he is not drafted into the Indian side, he remains a very special player.
“Even if he doesn’t, he is still a special player for me. But just let him play cricket freely and don’t put too much pressure on him because he’s performing so well at such an early age. I think it’s all part of that ‘wow factor,’ and I want him to play Test matches, one-day matches, and T20S whenever he makes his debut for India.”
“This is a special league” – Kiran More mentions at the start of the Beyond Reach Premier League
Under the former Indian selector’s supervision, a special launch of the Beyond Reach Premier League has been initiated, aiming at tennis-ball cricketers, for which trials have also been held.
“This is a special league, and we want to do something different. This was our first trial, and a lot of boys showed up for this, and we got to see some very interesting talent.”
Tennis ball cricket has also provided exposure to cricketers and has given rise to players like Prince Yadav, who later went on to persist as one of the major forces in white ball cricket. He also broke into the Indian team after having started his career with the tennis ball.
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