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Rishabh Pant and AB de Villiers - (Source: AFP/X)
On Tuesday, July 28, the BCCI released a 15-member India squad for upcoming Tests against Sri Lanka starting on August 15. Rishabh Pant returns to the Indian set-up after a long time. Notably, the southpaw is not in the scheme of things in ODIs and T20Is, but continues to be a strong option in Tests.
Interestingly, Rishabh Pant is one of India’s key stars in Test cricket and performs much better in red-ball cricket than white-ball. However, in the latest events, AB de Villiers has questioned his place in the Indian team.
AB de Villiers Questions Rishabh Pant’s Place in India Team
AB de Villiers, speaking on his YouTube channel, expressed his surprise over Rishabh Pant’s selection. He cited IPL 2026’s example and stated that Pant is low on confidence and energy.
“Rishabh Pant is included, which, in my opinion, is a bit of a surprise. We’ll have to see what his fitness is like and his appetite to perform because he looked slightly low on confidence and energy during the IPL. But now he’s representing India again, and I believe that will bring out the best in number 17. I’m a big fan—I just want to see him play with intensity,” he said.
Also Read: Is Gautam Gambhir's India Equipped Enough To Counter Biggest Sri Lankan Threat?
Is AB de Villiers Right About Rishabh Pant?
It is true that Rishabh Pant didn't had a great IPL 2026. The southpaw amassed 312 runs in 13 innings, averaging 28.36. Pant led LSG and the side finished 10th on the table. Eventually, the 28-year-old left the Super Giants and returned to Delhi Capitals via trade.
Pant had a poor IPL season, but it doesn't reflect on his Test batting. Notably, AB de Villiers is wrong because Rishabh Pant also had a poor IPL 2025, but still produced one of his best Test seasons.
Talking about Pant's IPL 2025 numbers, the left-handed batter scored just 269 runs and if we see his Test performance since then, the DC keeper-batter amassed 629 runs in 13 innings, averaging 48.38.
Hence, the fact that Rishabh Pant should not be in the Test team because of his IPL performance is wrong. Pant has been doing very well in red-ball cricket and will retain his place in the team.
AB de Villiers Excited To See Saransh Jain In Indian Jersey
AB de Villiers also expressed his excitment for Saransh Jain who has earned his India call-up at the age of 33.
“The big surprise, however, is Saransh Jain. It’s great to see him finally get his opportunity. He’s played for quite a while, and his bowling numbers are excellent. He averages just over 27, with a strike rate of around 54," de Villiers stated.
"He’ll give Shubman Gill another useful option once the ball gets older in the middle overs. His batting record is also respectable, with several fifties and a couple of hundreds. I’d describe him as more of a bowling all-rounder than a batting all-rounder,” he added.
Also Read: AB de Villiers Labels Rohit Sharma Inconsistent After Century At Lord's
