India captain Rishabh Pant has been slammed right, left, and centre for his poor shot selection in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa, as he has managed to score only 57 runs in the four matches in Delhi, Cuttack, Visakhapatnam, and Rajkot. His batting form has raised alarm bells in Indian cricketing circles, with several former cricketers raising their voices against his inclusion in the national squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. What has left the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Dale Steyn, and Danish Kaneria worried is the manner Rishabh Pant has been dismissed in the last three matches. On all three occasions, Rishabh Pant tried to chase a delivery bowled way outside the off-stump and lost his wicket while attempting to hit it over the boundary line. Now former India opener Aakash Chopra has warned the Uttarakhand-born batter to pull up his shocks rather quickly or else he could find himself out of the Indian team soon.

“More than his form, he is falling prey to South Africa's strategy. That's the big question. The visitors are bowling outside the off-stump repeatedly and he gets trapped. As we have discussed already, there are two options to play those deliveries. Either you move a bit and play it over long-off or play it down the ground towards the off side,” Aakash Chopra said on his official YouTube channel.

“Getting out, in the same way, is a big question. He might be the captain for now but who knows… because this Team India keeps changes on the basis of individual performances. So, Pant has to get back on the saddle because after this (South Africa T20Is) he won’t play in Ireland. Instead, he will go to England for the 5th Test. He needs the form,” Chopra added.

Earlier, former India great Sunil Gavaskar had echoed similar sentiments about Rishabh Pant’s ongoing rut. The legendary batter had even questioned his mental toughness because he was not able to stop himself from falling into the same trap again and again.

“He hasn’t learned. He hasn’t learned from his previous three dismissals. They throw wide, and he keeps going for it. He can’t throw enough muscle on that. He has got to stop looking to go aerial that far outside the off-stump,” Sunil Gavaskar said during his commentary stint on Star Sports.

“10 times, he has been dismissed wide outside off-stump. Some of them would’ve been called wide if he hadn’t made contact with it. Because he’s so far away, he has to reach out for it. He will never get enough power on it. To keep getting out in the same series in the same manner, for a captain of the Indian team, that’s not a good sign,” Gavaskar insisted.

South African great Dale Steyn was also critical of Rishabh Pant’s display against the Temba Bavuma-led side as he wasn’t able to avoid the temptation to play balls that were bowled out wide to him.

“Pant has had four opportunities in this series, where he seems to be making the same mistakes. Also, you think that good players learn from their mistakes, he has not,” Dale Steyn told ESPNCricinfo.

Another failure in Bengaluru would raise a few more eyebrows about Rishabh Pant's spot in the side. However, the left-hander will have another chance at redemption in the fifth and final game against South Africa on Sunday.