Former player Abhishek Nayar has said that Rishabh Pant should be allowed to bat the way he wants in Test cricket. He mentioned that all the batters would become like AI robots if they had a similar batting style.

India secured an innings and 300-run win over Afghanistan in the one-off Test in New Chandigarh on June 8. Pant, who returned to the Indian National Cricket Team, amassed 81 runs off 121 balls as the hosts posted 564 for 8 in their only innings.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Nayar mentioned that Pant doesn’t need to alter his batting style, and the batter should only be judged on the basis of his performances.

“I believe he doesn’t need to change his approach, and he doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. Many runs are not important, but his contribution always matters because of his counterattacking style. He has won several matches in challenging situations. He has won Tests in SENA countries,” Nayar said.

“I want Pant to remain the master of his skills. He has to fail on his terms. Pant needs freedom, and he should be judged on the basis of his performances. If every batter starts following one way, Vaibhav Suryavanshi won’t become Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and Rishabh Pant won’t become Rishabh Pant. Every batter will bat like an AI robot, and one doesn’t want that to happen,” he added.

In the same discussion, former India spinner Piyush Chawla lauded Rishabh Pant for playing according to the demands of the situation in the IND vs AFG Test.

“He played according to the situation. We haven’t seen him defending 20-ball. He didn’t go for boundaries. There are players who, when they defend, the face of their bats opens, and the ball goes towards the points, or else the ball goes towards the square leg region if the bat face closes,” he said.

Chawla highlighted that Pant took on the bowlers after spending time in the middle.

“He played with a straight bat, which is his strength. Once he was set, there was no looking back. He spoiled the rhythm of the bowlers and played an impactful knock. When he came to the middle on Day 2 of the Test, we saw the Pant we love to see in the Test format,” he explained.

Rishabh Pant hit six boundaries and 3 sixes during his innings of 81 runs. He accumulated 7 runs off the first 21 balls he faced before hitting Abdul Malik for three maximums in one over.