3-4 hour sessions were dedicated to just talking

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan shed light on the extensive level of preparation Rishabh Pant is undergoing with Yuvraj Singh ahead of the crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain is at a delicate stage in his career, especially after a poor IPL 2025 campaign after coming in as the most expensive player in the competition’s history.

Rishabh Pant has had a stunning slump in white-ball cricket in recent years. He has been a back-up wicket-keeper in the ODI setup, with only one appearance in the last three and a half years. The southpaw lost his place in the T20I team shortly after the T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, with the likes of Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson taking over.

Yuvraj Singh, who has closely worked with the likes of Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, and shaped their careers, was seen recently working with Rishabh Pant as well.

Irfan Pathan revealed that he had a talk with Yuvraj Singh regarding Rishabh Pant’s revival ahead of the upcoming season.

“It is very important that Rishabh Pant gets to bat during the powerplay. Nicholas Pooran has batted at No.3 for them, but Rishabh Pant must be locked in batting at No.3 so that he gets to bat in the powerplay. So, I believe that just lock it. After he worked with Yuvraj Singh, I spoke to Yuvi, and Yuvi told me that more than technical aspects, he worked with Rishabh on the mental side of the game. 3-4 hour sessions were dedicated to just talking,” Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

Rishabh Pant has not played competitive cricket since January 2026, when he led Delhi in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was part of the Team India ODI squad for the home series against New Zealand, but sustained an injury during a practice session ahead of the first ODI.

“He always seemed to be under pressure last year” – Irfan Pathan urges Rishabh Pant to enjoy his cricket in IPL 2026

Rishabh Pant struggled with the bat as well as a captain over the course of IPL 2025. The left-handed batter was often seen arguing with teammates, and having intense discussions in the dugout, which did not help his case, on top of the price tag pressure.

“There will be a lot of responsibility on Rishabh Pant. We will have to see what he does to get this team qualified. Whatever I have seen of him so far, he looks to be more fit and focused. He has spent 4-5 days with Yuvraj Singh as well. Now we will have to see how he brings those learnings onto the field. He always seemed to be under pressure last year. It seemed that he was not enjoying cricket. He needs to enjoy cricket,” Irfan Pathan said.

Rishabh Pant’s credentials were recently questioned by former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, but Irfan Pathan believes that the wicket-keeper has done more than enough to earn his reputation.

“Rishabh Pant has done well in this league, he has an average of 34 and a strike rate of around 150, and scored 3500 runs. This shows that you have shown your dominance in this league. The performances are there, match-winning innings are there, but it has to be taken further,” he added.

Rishabh Pant had not batted during LSG’s last practice game on March 24, but he is expected to hold the No.3 slot for the franchises in the upcoming season.