Rishabh Pant Turned Off Phone, Deleted WhatsApp: India’s Star Batter Punished Himself For ‘Stupid, Stupid’ Act Before Epic Test Comeback | Cricket News

Rishabh Pant roared back to form in sensational fashion with back-to-back centuries in the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter smashed 118 and 104 across two innings, single-handedly carrying India’s fight with the bat. Despite his heroics, India lost the match by five wickets, giving England a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Still, Pant’s aggressive stroke play and resilience under pressure were among the few positives for India from the loss.

From Australia Failure to England Fireworks

Pant’s resurgence comes after a disappointing run in the earlier Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2025 in Australia. Over five Tests, the left-hander managed just 255 runs at a poor average of 28.33 — a far cry from his usual standards. His innings were dotted with uncharacteristic misjudgments, with the most talked-about moment being his ill-timed ramp shot during the Melbourne Test that led to his dismissal.

The shot triggered sharp criticism from Sunil Gavaskar in the commentary box, whose “Stupid, stupid, stupid” reaction went viral on social media. It was a turning point for Pant, who took the harsh words to heart and chose a path of complete introspection and self-discipline.

Extreme Measures After Melbourne Debacle

According to reports, Pant responded to the Melbourne criticism by drastically altering his routine. He uninstalled WhatsApp and switched off his mobile phone to avoid distractions and channel his focus solely on improving his game.

India’s former strength and conditioning coach Sohum Desai revealed to Times of India that Pant immersed himself in intense training. “He did the most intense sessions day in and day out. He dragged me into the gym whenever he was free. He didn’t care about fatigue or work-loaded programmes. All he said was he needed to keep working on himself.”

Desai further noted Pant’s physical resilience: “Pant has so much reserve that he will be fine for at least a year without having to do anything extraordinary. That’s why you see him moving around so well despite scoring two hundreds and keeping wickets for so long in the Headingley Test.”

India’s Spark Amid Defeat

Pant’s turnaround not only showed his mental toughness but also served as a reminder of his value to the Indian Test team. With centuries in both innings, he became only the second Indian wicketkeeper to achieve the feat in a single Test and the first to do so in an overseas match. Even though India ended up on the losing side, Pant’s form will be a key factor as the series progresses.