Syed Kirmani, once one of India’s top wicketkeepers, thinks Rishabh Pant needs to dial back his flamboyance and pay more attention to his fitness and temperament if he wants to play for India across all formats again. Pant, now 28, used to be seen as a natural fit for any format, but lately, he’s only showing up in Tests. He still plays T20s in the IPL, but his presence in other formats has dwindled.

Kirmani gets straight to the point: “Rishabh has to work hard on his fitness, consistency, and temperament. Honestly, his temperament is pretty vulnerable—very up and down. You can’t just walk in and claim, ‘I’m a born hitter, I’ll smash every ball.’ Maybe you have one of those days, but you need to read the situation, the format, and what the team needs from you.”

He insists Pant needs to prove himself every time he’s picked: fitness, performance, and consistency—especially with so much competition for his spot.

Kirmani holds Pant in high regard and once saw him as the most gifted player in India after Sachin Tendulkar—“before Vaibhav Sooryavanshi,” he says. “When Pant first made it into the team, I figured he was the most talented after Sachin. He really was, until this new boy Sooryavanshi came along. Now, seeing Pant play only Tests, I’m honestly baffled.”

He’s not shy about where the responsibility lies. Coaches and mentors can only do so much—they can guide you and show you the right approach before a match starts, but it’s down to the player. “You can’t blame anyone else. It’s all on the player, whether he succeeds or flops. No one else should take the blame.”

Pant’s career took a hit back in December 2022 when he was seriously injured in a car accident. It kept him out for about 15 months, but he finally made his comeback during IPL 2024. In the meantime, a bunch of other wicketkeepers stepped up. They grabbed their chances in Tests and ODIs, showing consistency every time they played.

Kirmani says getting into the Indian team now is tougher than ever, and it’s not just Pant—all players need to be at their absolute best. “Competition is fierce, whether you’re a bowler, batter, or wicketkeeper. The selectors have a real headache picking a wicketkeeper-batter; right now, there’s Pant, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson. The competition among these five is intense.”

Bottom line: every player needs to stay sharp, not just Pant. There’s so much talent fighting for the same spot. Kirmani says selectors need to keep an eye on each player’s consistency and physical fitness. That’s what matters most. He’s noticed that today’s wicketkeepers focus a lot on their batting—if they score well and help the team, they move ahead. Right now, batting ability seems to be what gets them noticed.