Rishabh Pant and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi [Source: AFP]While IPL 2026 is only just getting underway, Rishabh Pant has already stirred plenty of chatter. Reprising his role as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain, his team slumped to a demoralising defeat in their opening match of the tournament on Wednesday, April 1. His batting woes, which were evident last season, appear to have carried over into the early stages of IPL 2026 as well. Amid his repeated struggles with the bat in IPL cricket, the senior Indian wicketkeeper-batter has been advised to take notes from India’s 15-year-old wonder-kid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Rishabh Pant cannot afford another dull season, believes Vaughan Rishabh Pant has gradually slipped out of India’s ODI and T20I setups over the past few years. A Test superstar through and through, the senior Indian wicketkeeper-batter has also endured a rough patch in his IPL career. Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that while a player of Pant’s caliber can find a place in any other national team, the 28-year-old has had to contend with the sheer depth of India’s talent pool and intense competition for spots in the national XI. The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Pant’s journey back into India’s white-ball sides is set to be a challenging one, especially with the likes of Ishan Kishan, Jitesh Sharma and Sanju Samson also vying for the same role. Also Read- Watch- Sanjiv Goenka Scolds Rishabh Pant After IPL Loss; Ignites KL Rahul MemoriesWhile talking on Cricbuzz, Michael Vaughan said, “He’s playing for a country that’s got so much depth. He would get into every other nation’s team because of the skillset – he can whack the ball, is a good keeper and a good thinker. But when it comes to playing for India, you’ve got Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and Jitesh Sharma. There’s a galaxy of wicketkeeper batters, and it’s not going to be easy for him.” Vaughan also added that Rishabh Pant cannot afford to have another dull IPL season, neither as captain nor as a batter especially after his dreadful IPL 2025 run last year. The ex-cricketer even urged the Indian stumper to learn a lesson or two from Rajasthan Royals opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He added “The biggest profile and the biggest stage are now. For him to have another humdinger of an IPL – bat well, captain well. If I were him, I would be watching Sooryavanshi. Because when Rishabh plays, it reminds me a lot of him. It’s just the free spirit. Rishabh should bat at No. 3, try to whack it out of the park. His mindset should be ‘I can hit a 100 off 48 balls’.” Rishabh Pant’s persistent IPL struggles vs Sooryavanshi’s meteoric rise Rishabh Pant managed to aggregate just 269 runs from 13 innings of the IPL 2025 season last year at a dismal average of 24.45. Notably, the blistering wicketkeeper-batter scored 118* of those runs in a single innings against RCB, highlighting his inconsistency across the remainder of the season. Under his leadership, the LSG franchise also failed to make it to the playoffs of the tournament, listing just six wins from 14 matches. Even during LSG’s opening match of IPL 2026 against the Delhi Capitals on April 1, the left-handed batter promoted himself as an opener but was dismissed for just seven off nine balls. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, on the other hand, started off his IPL 2026 season with an electrifying 17-ball 52 to bolt Rajasthan Royals to a comprehensive victory over CSK in Guwahati. A couple of months ago, the attacking opener blasted 175 off just 80 balls against England U19 to lift the 2026 ICC Men’s U19 World Cup in Zimbabwe. As Pant grapples with form, Vaughan’s advice to draw inspiration from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fearless batting could prove pivotal in shaping his IPL 2026 season. LSG to take on SRH this week Starting off IPL 2026 with a six-wicket defeat against Delhi Capitals, the LSG franchise will now be taking on SRH in match number 10 of the tournament. The match will be hosted by the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday, April 5 and the action will commence from 3:30 PM IST onwards. In a bid to get back to winning ways, it is imperative for Rishabh Pant and co. to deliver a collective improvement and put up a strong all-round performance against SRH. Also read: Shreyas Iyer Injury Update: Will PBKS Captain Play Vs CSK In IPL 2026?
