Rishabh Pant uninstalled WhatsApp and switched off his phone after the Melbourne Test, recognising the need to reset and refocus.
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Rishabh Pant Redemption Arc: From Champions Trophy Omission to Headingley Heroics
Rishabh Pant has captured the cricketing world’s attention with his phenomenal twin centuries (134 and 118) in the Headingley Test against England, becoming only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score hundreds in both innings of a match. Despite his incredible effort, India fell short as England chased down 371 to take a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series.
Rishabh Pant resurgence comes after a difficult few months. In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, he managed just 255 runs across five Tests at an average of 28.33. His reckless dismissal in Melbourne drew sharp criticism, most notably from Sunil Gavaskar, who labelled his shot selection as “stupid, stupid, stupid” — a remark that quickly went viral.
Omitted from the playing XI during India’s victorious ICC Men’s Champions Trophy campaign, Pant went through a period of introspection. According to the Times of India, he uninstalled WhatsApp and switched off his phone in March 2025 to cut out distractions and refocus.
Rishabh Pant struggles continued in the IPL 2025, where he captained the Lucknow Super Giants but failed to cross the 300-run mark across the season — a total salvaged only by a century against RCB in the final league game.
Now, back in his preferred Test whites, Pant seems rejuvenated. His sensational performance in Leeds signals not just a return to form but a shift in maturity and mindset. With the series still wide open, the Indian vice-captain’s redemption arc could very well shape the road ahead.
Rishabh Pant’s punishing routine
India’s former strength and conditioning coach Sohum Desai has credited Rishabh Pant’s rigorous fitness regimen for his standout performance in the Headingley Test, where the wicketkeeper-batter struck twin centuries. Despite not featuring in a single match during India’s victorious Champions Trophy campaign, Pant was relentless in his training.
“He did the most intense sessions day in and day out,” Desai told the Times of India. “Even when benched, he would drag me into the gym, saying he just wanted to keep working on himself. Fatigue or work-load management didn’t matter to him.”
According to Desai, Rishabh Pant was so committed that on the day of the Champions Trophy final, he asked—almost with guilt—if he could take a break for once. “I told him it was high time,” Desai said, adding that Pant now has such a fitness reserve that he can sustain high performance without doing anything extraordinary for at least a year.
India and England are set to meet again in the second Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, beginning July 2. All eyes will be on Pant as he looks to carry his stellar form forward.