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Former India cricketer Madan Lal is of the opinion that Rishabh Pant should not have been handed India’s captaincy as he is still too young for that role. In a recent interaction, Lal asserted that it was too early for Pant to get the leadership role and the selectors must have looked at other options.
Notably, Pant led India against South Africa in absence of India’s regular captain Rohit Sharma and vice-captain KL Rahul where India levelled the five-match series 2-2.
The World Cup-winning cricketer said Pant is too young and should have been allowed to play a bit more freely. “I would have stopped him from becoming the captain. I would not have let this happen. Because such a player should be given such responsibility later. Being the captain of India is a big deal. He is young. He's not going anywhere now. The more he plays, the more understanding he will get,” said Madan Lal.
"In the next two years, if he takes his game to the next level and understands things with maturity he can be a good captain. Then he will be a different kind of player. MS Dhoni was a calm and cool captain, due to which he liked the captaincy. Virat Kohli is a tremendous batsman. I am not saying that Pant should not bat but it will be good if he plays with a little understanding,” added Madan Lal.
Notably, Pant has failed to score big in the last few games he has played whether it’s an international game or an IPL game. In the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa, Pant only managed 57 runs in 4 innings. The left-handed batter got out while chasing deliveries outside the off-stump. These continuous failures with the bat is also creating doubts around Pant’s chances for the upcoming T20 World Cup.