NEW DELHI: At a time when Rishabh Pant finds himself battling one of the toughest phases of his career, former India wicketkeeper and chief selector Kiran More has thrown his weight firmly behind the struggling star, insisting that Pant has the courage, character and resilience to script yet another comeback.Pant’s difficult IPL 2026 campaign has only added to the scrutiny around him. The wicketkeeper-batter has struggled for runs, while his team, Lucknow Super Giants, have endured a forgettable season. The struggles have also spilled over to the international arena, where Pant was replaced by KL Rahul as India’s Test vice-captain and lost his place as the second-choice ODI wicketkeeper to Ishan Kishan for the upcoming series against the Afghanistan.Pant has managed only 286 runs in 13 matches in IPL 2026, while under his captaincy, Lucknow Super Giants are languishing at the bottom of the points table. He also came under criticism for using the F-word live on television following LSG’s defeat to Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur.“No, it’s nothing like that, I am not disappointed at all. Pant is in the team, and I am very happy. He is a fighter, a player with immense courage, has a big heart, and he has performed exceptionally well (by) winning (Test) matches single-handedly. I have worked quite closely with him, and I know him very well.“Every cricketer goes through a phase like this; you pass through such times. So I think there will definitely be a great comeback, and a strong comeback. When his life was saved, and he returned to the team, he performed so well, so this (current phase) is nothing compared to that,” More told IANS on Thursday.More also lavished praise on Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who has amassed 579 runs in 13 matches for Rajasthan Royals and currently tops the run-scoring charts with an astonishing strike rate of 236.32.“No, look, he is a special player, and God has created and sent him, so I think it’s a great thing that he sent him to India. You will keep watching him, as he will score a lot of runs in the future.“Even if he doesn’t, he is still a special player for me. But, just let him play cricket freely and don’t put too much pressure on him because he’s performing so well at such an early age, I think it’s all part of that ‘wow factor,’ and I want him to play Test matches, one-day matches, and T20s whenever he makes his debut for India.”More also spoke about the launch of the Beyond Reach Premier League, a tournament aimed at tennis-ball cricketers. Trials for the league were recently conducted under his supervision in Ghaziabad.“This is a special league, and we want to do something different. This was our first trial, and a lot of boys showed up for this, and we got to see some very interesting talent.”
