IPL 2022 | Rishabh Pant should follow Andre Russell's style of batting, suggests Ravi Shastri

Rishabh Pant has always been an enigma ever since his debut for India. Pant's batting has been all about domination and style, which has yielded good rewards for the young gun from Roorkee. However, his form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 is below par for Delhi Capitals.

Now former India coach and avid fan of Pant, Ravi Shastri, has suggested he should bat like West Indies' Andre Russell.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo's T20 Time Out show, Shastri said, "I feel once he gets the tempo going he shouldn't change, he should be in the [Andre] Russell mould in this format of the game. You get your eye in, you're striking it well - don't think too much. No matter who the bowler is, if it's there to be smacked, smack it. Who knows, you might win more matches than people expect you to."

Pant has managed just 281 runs from 11 games this season, at an average of 31.22. The Capitals are currently positioned fifth with 10 points and will need to win all their remaining games if they stand a chance to qualify.

In addition, Russell has as many runs as Pant’s from 12 games, but his strike rate stands at 183.66. Though Russell has not finished that many games for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), his batting has given them quite a boost while batting first.

Shastri spoke about Russell's style in detail, explaining, "Russell is very, very clear in his mindset. It is bang-bang-bang once he's in the mood. There's no stopping him, there's not even a negative thought that will peep through his system - it is [all about] smacking. Rishabh is totally capable of playing in that fashion, and I hope he thinks in that way because you'll see some special innings from him in T20 cricket."

Pant's form ever since becoming Delhi skipper has been moderate. Before captaining, he scored above 1,000 runs and averaged well above 45, while having a strike rate of 170+. He has had starts this season but fails to gain any momentum.

Former New Zealand legend Daniel Vettori exhibited similar intentions to Shastri, saying Pant should bat with more freedom and express himself in the center. 

"Rishabh Pant is almost at his best when he's reckless, and we've seen him play some exceptional innings when he just continues to take teams down time and time again," Vettori cited.

Shastri ended the conversation by saying that Delhi must have Pant bat at number 3 to utilize his full potential. 

He mentioned, "I'd like to see him bat at three for Delhi Capitals, especially now when the heat is on, when they've got to win. Let him go and smack it."