IND vs SA | Rishabh Pant panics a little bit whenever a match becomes tight, opines Wasim Jaffer

06/14/2022

Wasim Jaffer has said that Rishabh Pant panics a little bit whenever the team is in crunch situations in a match. India have lost the first two games of the five-match T20I series against South Africa under the leadership of Rishabh Pant and the third T20I will be a must-win contest for them.

India are up against South Africa in a five-match T20I series and are trailing by 2-0. Rishabh Pant has been leading the side for the series as KL Rahul was ruled out due to a groin injury. Pant is yet to win an international game as a captain as they lost both the matches. Courtesy of these defeats, Pant’s captaincy has been under criticism by some former cricketers. Wasim Jaffer is the new name to join the list by saying that the batter-wicketkeeper panics whenever it becomes a close contest.

"Yes, we have seen that thing, even in the IPL. Somewhere down the line I think, the more he leads, the better he will become. But currently, at this stage, I think that when the match becomes tight, he panics a little bit," Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo during an interview.

"To some extent, the series is out of India's hands. Because if you are trailing 2-0 in a five-match series, if in any of the next matches there is even small shortcomings then... I think India will have to play brilliant cricket from hereon. Irrespective of the toss, an above-par score should be made."

The third T20I of the series will be played on Tuesday in Visakhapatnam.