IPL 2026: Can Rishabh Pant revive his white-ball form and secure his place with a strong performance this season?
The 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) could very well be the most important one of Rishabh Pant’s white-ball career. Once seen as an all-format wicketkeeper-batter for India, Pant now finds himself at a crossroads, battling with batting inconsistency and competition in both the shorter formats of the game. That is why, for him personally, the stakes are higher and he needs to perform to his fullest potential.
Sporadic appearances since T20 World Cup 2024
Post his successful return to international cricket after a horrific accident, Rishabh Pant was very much part of India’s white-ball plans. He played ahead of another explosive keeper-batter Sanju Samson in the team’s successful triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024 and the main reason behind it was his match-winning ability. However he could manage only 171 runs in eight outings and never played a T20I for India post the three-match series in Sri Lanka in July 2024.
That was also the last series where Pant featured in an ODI game and though he was part of India’s Champions Trophy squad, the left-hander didn’t play a single game. While India played only a handful of ODIs after that, Pant’s name was once again absent from the playing XI in all the three games, when they hosted South Africa in late 2025.
Even then, he wasn’t an automatic pick in the initial squad and came in as a replacement. So it is safe to say that the southpaw hasn’t cemented his place even playing 76 T20Is and 31 ODIs for India.
IPL 2025: Season of missed opportunities
The previous season of the IPL was a great chance for Pant to prove himself at the highest level. Playing for a new franchise and leading them, expectations were high from Pant, both as a leader and a batter. But the returns didn’t quite come as he could accumulate just 269 runs in 13 innings.
His journey for most part was a disappointing one; he often struggled to convert starts into meaningful scores and the fluency was totally missing. We did see the Pant we know turn up in the Lucknow Super Giants’ final group game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he scored a stunning 118*. Though it came too late in the season for everyone’s linking, Pant reminded everyone of his talent and calibre to excel at the highest level.
Read More: Rishabh Pant’s below par returns in VHT 2025-26 don’t give much confidence for ODI selection
Struggles continue in second half of 2026
After a stellar Test series against England in the summer of 2025, where he amassed a tally of 479 runs in four Tests, Pant couldn’t sustain the same momentum. Coming back after a brief hiatus due to a fractured foot, Pant had a poor home Test series against South Africa (49 runs in four innings).
His return to domestic cricket, where he played for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025/26 in a bid to strengthen his position in ODI cricket wasn’t earth-shattering either. He made 212 runs in six innings, which was decent but not up to the level that selectors could take note of.
Back to drawing board
In a bid to rediscover the best version of himself, Pant has been putting a lot of work behind the scenes. Recently, he was seen training alongside Yuvraj Sngh, one of India’s finest white-ball batters.
Yuvraj has been a mentor to India’s current T20 sensation Abhishek Sharma since long and we all know how the latter has fared. So we can hope that this stint with the legendary batter will help Pant regain his confidence, something that was missing in recent times.
Pant will need to be back to his absolute best not to be amongst the runs but also to beat the strong competition. With multiple wicketkeeper-batters like Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, and Dhruv Jurel staking their claim and vying for a spot in either T20Is or ODIs, Pant’s selection is not guaranteed.
The left-hander who will return to lead the LSG side would like to add more knocks like the 118 he made against RCB to his kitty in IPL 2026. So the upcoming season is a make or break one for the southpaw; a strong season here could change the narrative and re-establish him as a serious contender in India’s white-ball teams.
Read More: IPL 2025: A season of what ifs for LSG; Where did they go wrong?
