Dasgupta backs Rishabh Pant's attacking approach for India in Sri Lanka

Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel on August 11, 2026 that Rishabh Pant should play in his usual attacking style rather than be overtly defensive during India's series in Sri Lanka. He made the remarks amid renewed debate over Pant's red-ball approach.

Pant's Test batting style has been widely discussed because he is known to be more aggressive in the red-ball game, and while his attacking mantra has worked at times there have been episodes that frustrated pundits and fans. There was that famous incident during the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy where Sunil Gavaskar shouted 'stupid, stupid' after Pant got out trying an unorthodox shot. India coach Gautam Gambhir, while backing Pant's style recently, also hinted that the wicketkeeper does need to respect the conditions a bit more.

“He should bat exactly the way he usually does. I remember a few matches back where he was overtly defensive. I would rather have him get out going for a six than getting out playing a forceful defence. Rishabh should get the freedom to attack, and that's also his strength. Also, Sri Lanka's spinners are predominantly left-arm spinners. So Rishabh being in form and having the right mindset is crucial for India in this series,” former India batter Deep Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel.

"This word responsibility is a complicated word. The viewers' mindset is also strange: if a batter defends and gets out, that's not irresponsible. But if someone plays a shot and gets out, it becomes irresponsible. The truth is certain batters have defence as their strength, while it's attack for others. But getting out while defending has become acceptable, whereas it's deemed irresponsible or rash if it's an attacking shot," said Dasgupta.

Dasgupta pointed to recent match practice as evidence Pant has struggled to settle on a single approach, saying the wicketkeeper appeared confused during the warm-up game against SLC XI. In that match, Pant was out trying a risky shot in the first innings and in the second he batted overly defensively before being dismissed attempting a big one.

“Instead, you should analyse if the timing was right or if it was the right bowler to attack. But most of us judge a dismissal only by whether it's an attacking shot. We must understand that an attacking batter will get out playing a shot 8 out of 10 times. So it's important not to just say things for the heck of it,” he added.

This will be the first time Pant will be playing a Test match in Sri Lanka in his career.