‘I plead with you with folded hands’: Ashwin’s emotional plea to Rishabh Pant

former indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin Strong appeal issued to Lucknow Supergiants captain Ritha Pantasking him to commit to opening the batting throughout the IPL 2026 season. Pant’s batting position has been a major talking point in the new season, especially in the last edition where he struggled to maintain consistency except for a century. Pant elevated himself to the top in the recent match against Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, but his performance was cut short by an unfortunate run-out. open side by side Mitchell MarshPant added left and right combinations at the top, pushing the in-form Aiden Markram dropped to third place. The LSG skipper looked fluent during his brief stay and even hit a clean straight shot off Mukesh Kumar, and then at an odd moment Marsh’s shot deflected off the stumps at the non-striker’s end and hit Pant. In view of this situation, Ashwin believes that Pant should avoid uncertainty and stick to the opening game. “The way Rishabh Pant got out was very unfortunate and even more unfortunate the way he spoke after the match. He was asked if he would open the innings and he replied 50-50. I request you with folded hands, please open in every game. Justin Langer, or anyone in the LSG team management, should go and tell Rishabh Pant to go out and play freely in the powerplay. Go and play the full 14 games as an opener,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. He further explained that Pant’s impact may be reduced if he is lower in the batting order. “If he gets into batting position after the powerplay, the bowlers will have a strategy to stop him. So, I think he should open up batting position for himself and LSG,” he added. Pant’s record as an IPL opener remains limited. In six innings in the first-class format, he scored 132 runs at an average of 22.00 and a strike rate of 128.16, including a half-century. Despite Ashwin’s strong stance, Pant said his role has not been finalized yet. “It’s still a 50-50 result but you will definitely see me batting at the top of the order this season,” Pant said after the defeat. Reflecting on defeats and defeats, the wicketkeeper-batsman stressed the importance of moving forward quickly. “The best way to recover is to keep moving forward and not dwell on it too much. There are some things you can’t control and thinking about them will only keep you stuck. It’s important to look forward and stay positive,” he said. LSG will next face Ishan Kishan-led Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 5 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium and Pant’s batting position will once again be in the spotlight.