When India’s selectors dropped Pant from the ODI squad for the Afghanistan series and removed his Test vice-captaincy in May 2026, the coverage ran predictably, a decline narrative, white-ball failure, and questions about the future. The actual story runs the other way. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said it plainly: “Rishabh is an incredible Test player. We want him to become the best Test player that he has always been.” That is not damage control. It is a structurally correct statement that the IPL numbers, read properly, support.
What IPL 2026 Actually Tells Us About Pant
Pant’s 2026 season at LSG produced 312 runs in 14 matches at an average of 28.36 and a strike rate of 138.05. His 2025 season at the same franchise was worse: 269 runs in 14 innings at 24.45 and a strike rate of 133.16. For context, his peak IPL season came in 2018 with Delhi Capitals, 684 runs, average 45.60, strike rate 173.60. The gap is real and has been real for years.
But the pattern is not a new form. It is the same batter who has always been mediocre in structured white-ball formats and exceptional in red-ball cricket. IPL 2026 didn’t create that gap; it made it impossible to ignore.
The Test Record That Makes White-Ball Noise Irrelevant
Across 49 Tests, Pant has 3,476 runs at an average of 42.91 with eight centuries. His T20I average across 76 matches sits at 23. That is not a slight format gap; it is a different player in a different environment.
Format | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate |
Test | 49 | 3,476 | 42.91 | 74.24 |
ODI | 31 | 871 | 34.00 | 106.21 |
T20I | 76 | 1,209 | 23.00 | 127.26 |
IPL 2018 peak | 14 | 684 | 45.60 | 173.60 |
IPL 2025 (LSG) | 14 | 269 | 24.45 | 133.16 |
IPL 2026 (LSG) | 14 | 312 | 28.36 | 138.05 |
His Test innings speak for themselves: 159 in Sydney, 89 not out at the Gabba in a chase of 328 that sealed India’s first series win in Australia in 71 years, 146 against England at Edgbaston in 2022, and twin centuries at Headingley in 2025, making him the first Indian keeper to score centuries in both innings of a Test. He is also India’s leading WTC run-scorer in history with 2,731 runs, ahead of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Rishabh Pant India Test Cricket vs Afghanistan, What the Selectors Got Right
Pant is in India’s Test squad for the Afghanistan one-off Test at Mullanpur from June 6 to 10. He is not in the ODI squad, Ishan Kishan has been preferred, and not in the T20I squad, where Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma are the chosen keepers. The selectors have confirmed his Test irreplaceability while acknowledging his white-ball limitations. That is a nuanced and correct decision. The vice-captaincy going to KL Rahul is a contingency call; Rahul has captained India in Tests before, not a comment on Pant’s batting.
Why T20 Cricket Was Never His Format
Pant’s last T20I was against Sri Lanka in July 2024. He wasn’t selected for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The format rewards hitting specific lines from ball one; Pant’s strength is reading a match across a long innings, absorbing pressure, then dismantling it over time. That skill is redundant in 20 overs. In Test cricket, the same batter who looks scratchy in T20Is becomes the player who won India the Gabba Test, made twin Headingley centuries, and repeatedly rescues the middle order across sessions that last hours.
The Signal Behind the IPL Noise
With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket, Pant is the senior attacking batter Shubman Gill’s new Test setup builds around. The Afghanistan Test at Mullanpur is a form-maintenance exercise after a long IPL season. The real tests come later in 2026 on England’s tour. But whether the assignment is straightforward or demanding, Rishabh Pant’s India Test cricket vs Afghanistan and beyond remains the same proposition: a batter whose white-ball numbers will always disappoint and whose red-ball record will always make those numbers irrelevant.
Which format tells you more about a keeper-batter’s true value, T20 strike rate or Test average across fifty matches?
FAQs
Why was Rishabh Pant dropped from India’s ODI squad for Afghanistan 2026?
Pant was left out of the ODI squad with Ishan Kishan preferred as wicketkeeper. Chief selector Agarkar confirmed the selectors want Pant to focus on Test cricket, where they consider him irreplaceable despite his IPL 2026 form of 312 runs at a strike rate of 138.05.
How many runs has Rishabh Pant scored in Test cricket?
Pant has scored 3,476 runs in 49 Tests at an average of 42.91, including eight centuries. He is India’s leading WTC run-scorer in history with 2,731 runs across all three cycles, ahead of both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
What is Rishabh Pant’s WTC record?
Pant is India’s leading WTC run-scorer with 2,731 runs, more than any other Indian batter across all three cycles. His WTC contributions include 159 in Sydney, 89 not out at the Gabba, and twin centuries at Headingley in 2025.
What happened to Rishabh Pant in IPL 2026?
Pant scored 312 runs in 14 matches at an average of 28.36 and a strike rate of 138.05 for Lucknow Super Giants. LSG had a poor campaign, and Pant lost the Test vice-captaincy following the season’s conclusion.
Who is India’s vice-captain for the Afghanistan Test 2026?
KL Rahul is India’s Test vice-captain for the Afghanistan match, replacing Pant in that role. Selector Agarkar explained it as a pragmatic choice. Rahul has captained India in Tests before and provides cover if Shubman Gill is unavailable.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.