Michael Vaughan Asks Rishabh Pant to Learn From 15-Year-Old Sooryavanshi

Michael Vaughan advised Rishabh Pant to learn from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi amid competition from Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson and others.

Rishabh Pant’s IPL 2026 campaign has drawn attention early. The Lucknow Super Giants captain opened against the Delhi Capitals but failed to impress. He later had a visible exchange with owner Sanjiv Goenka after a six-wicket loss. Pant, signed for ₹27 crore, continues to face questions over his T20 approach.

WATCH ALSO | Sanjiv Goenka’s Animated Chat With Rishabh Pant Goes Viral

Former England captain Michael Vaughan assessed the situation and pointed to a possible solution. Vaughan highlighted 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fearless style as a model. He stressed that Pant needs a more attacking mindset. He also suggested a No. 3 role to maximise impact in IPL 2026.

“He’s playing for a country that’s got so much depth. He would get into every other nation’s team because of the skillset – he can whack the ball, is a good keeper and a good thinker. But when it comes to playing for India, you’ve got Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and Jitesh Sharma. There’s a galaxy of wicketkeeper batters, and it’s not going to be easy for him,” Vaughan said to Cricbuzz.

“The biggest profile and the biggest stage are now. For him to have another humdinger of an IPL – bat well, captain well. If I were him, I would be watching Sooryavanshi. Because when Rishabh plays, it reminds me a lot of him. It’s just the free spirit. Rishabh should bat at No. 3, try to whack it out of the park. His mindset should be ‘I can hit a 100 off 48 balls,” he added.

Notably, Rishabh Pant’s move to open for LSG proved disappointing. He scored 7 off 9 balls against the Delhi Capitals before a runout ended his stay. The left-hander looked uncomfortable during his short innings. LSG then went on to lose the match by 6-wickets.