5 min readChennaiUpdated: Mar 14, 2026 07:19 AM IST
A visibly exhausted Rishabh Pant says, almost pleading, “Woh mat puchiye.” He’s responding to a question about how many kilograms he’s shed. He doesn’t need to answer it. The work he has put in over the last five months speaks for itself. Ahead of what promises to be a defining IPL season, the Lucknow Super Giants captain looks remarkably fit as the franchise begins its preparations in Chennai.
Although Pant remains an integral part of India’s Test setup, his white-ball standing has slipped. When India needed a second wicketkeeper for the recent T20 World Cup — with Jitesh Sharma unavailable — it was Ishan Kishan who got the nod. In the ODI format, Pant has been part of the squad, but with KL Rahul firmly established as the first-choice keeper, he has spent much of his time on the bench. Among all Indian players heading into this IPL, few have more at stake than Pant. With Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson both in fine form and favour, this is his moment to remind selectors that he remains very much in the reckoning.
By the looks of it, Pant seems acutely aware of that. Before arriving in Chennai — where Lucknow have set up their pre-season base at former India bowling coach Bharat Arun’s academy, Coaching Beyond — Pant spent five days in Mumbai working with Yuvraj Singh. The sessions with Yuvraj, who has played a key role in the development of Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, were focused on the basics: retaining shape, bat swing, and above all, clarity in shot selection. The idea, it is understood, was to keep things simple.
India captain Rishabh Pant addresses the media ahead of the second test match between India and South Africa in Guwahati, India, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (AP Photo)
For a batsman of his gifts, Pant’s IPL record has been something of a mixed bag. His peak of 684 runs came in the 2018 edition; his closest approaches since were 488 in 2019 and 446 in 2024. Last season, acquired for a record Rs 27 crore, he managed only 269. His role in the middle order hasn’t made run-scoring easy, but for Lucknow to mount a serious play-off challenge, they will need far more from their captain.
Going by what unfolded in Chennai, Pant looks ready to deliver. On Friday, just hours before leaving the city, he spent three and a half hours in an open net session — facing seamers and spinners alike until they were on their knees. With assistant coach Lance Klusener stationed at the side of the nets and Arun positioned behind the bowlers, Pant began at 3 PM and finished around 5:20 PM. His intentions were clear: against full deliveries, he rocked back and hit long and straight; anything short or in his arc was dispatched through mid-wicket. Every so often, he sought input from Arun and Klusener while video analysts watched closely from the other side.
Then came the off-side drills. He instructed the pace bowlers to aim wide yorkers outside off-stump, and as Avesh Khan delivered one on cue, Pant swivelled and scooped it away. The audacity is still there — but there is now a more deliberate quality to it. In the past, his attempts to impose himself have occasionally cost him his wicket and, sometimes, his team. Those criticisms would have reached him. What you see now is a more considered Pant, one who hasn’t surrendered his flair but has chosen to be selective about when and how he uses it.
India’s vice captain Rishabh Pant walks towards the pavilion after an injury in his hand on the first day of the third test cricket match between India and England, at the Lord’s Cricket Ground, in London, Thursday, July 10, 2025. (PTI Photo)
Behind the scenes, significant changes are underway. Since November, Pant has been working closely with strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai, who previously worked with the Indian team and is now attached to the Lucknow franchise. As he approaches 30, the focus has shifted: less about grinding harder, more about being smarter.
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Agility, movement, self-awareness. “Pagal jaise nahi,” a source says — not like a madman. “When you get older, you need to manage things differently. It comes down to understanding yourself.” A stint of domestic cricket and time spent at home in Uttarakhand also appear to have helped him arrive at a big season feeling genuinely refreshed.
When Ishan Kishan returned to the Indian fold after nearly two years away, a noticeably different version of him showed up. There is a sense that something similar is happening with Pant. As he walked off after his marathon session on Friday — drained, but visibly hungry — he had the look of a man who had given everything and couldn’t wait to do it all over again.
