Magic When It Works, Tragic When It Doesn’t — But Always Rishabh Pant

Trisha Ghosal in Manchester 

The murmurs started almost instantly. Why did he need to play that shot? Was it necessary? Couldn’t Pant have just settled in?

It was a full ball from Chris Woakes, angling in. Rishabh Pant tried to reverse sweep it — his body weight falling across, his usual flair on display. But this time, it went horribly wrong. The ball slammed into his foot. He was in visible agony, unable to stand. Moments later, he was being driven off the field, India suddenly in damage-control mode.

But to question why he played that shot is to question the very essence of Pant.

He plays that shot because that’s how he plays the game, on instinct, not calculation. That same instinct gave us 89* at the Gabba. That same instinct reverse-swept James Anderson in a Test match. That same instinct brought life to a tense day in Manchester, with a 48-ball 37* that changed the tempo, the energy, and the mood.

Yes, yesterday it ended in pain. But on another day, that same reverse sweep to the fence and we’re all shouting, “pure Pant!” from the rooftops.

You can’t separate the risk from the genius. They are intertwined. Pant doesn’t play for optics or caution; he plays to shift games. And that means every shot carries both thrill and threat.

His absence, if extended, will hurt India, deeply. Not just as a batter but as a ‘keeper, a left-hander, a disruptor, a spirit. Few can unsettle opposition plans like Pant. Few can make a bowling attack second-guess itself in minutes.

We don’t yet know how bad the injury is. But we do know this: India needs Rishabh Pant to be Rishabh Pant.

Sometimes it’s magic. Occasionally it’s tragic. But it’s always worth the risk. Get well soon, Rishabh.