IPL 2019: Rishabh Pant needs to give himself more time in the middle to be able to finish games, feels Kris Srikkanth

New Delhi: Rishabh Pant must learn the virtue of patience to transform himself from an exciting match-winner to a crucial ‘finisher’ for India, according to former captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth. Famed for his swashbuckling batting, Pant is expected to be the second wicket-keeper in India’s World Cup squad, behind Mahendra Singh Dhoni, after impressing across all three formats. [caption id=“attachment_6319511” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Rishabh Pant smashed an unbeaten 78 off just 27 balls to help Delhi Capitals post a mammoth 213/6. Sportzpics[/caption] Pant smashed a blistering 78 not out of 27 balls in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Mumbai Indians last month but the former aggressive opener advised the Delhi Capitals player to shun risks early in his knock. “I firmly believe that he is one cricketer in India who could win his side — be it Delhi Capitals or Indian teams — games from hopeless situations,” Srikkanth wrote in a column in Friday’s Times of India newspaper. “This kid has it in him but from my observation I feel that he doesn’t give himself enough time to showcase his talent in the middle.” “He goes too hard right at the start. He needs to play in the ‘V’ the first few balls, irrespective of the format, maybe push the ball towards long-on or long-off frequently and get his eyes in. “He has great ability and a range of shots to make it up in the end,” added Srikkanth, a member of India’s triumphant 1983 World Cup team. Delhi head coach Ricky Ponting also believes Pant needed to be patient to be able to inflict maximum damage on rivals in the final overs. “With Rishabh in white-ball cricket, the issue is that he’s such a competitor that sometimes that gets the better of him,” Ponting said ahead of Friday’s match with Kolkata Knight Riders. “He wants to get things done quickly in the white-ball game. In the Tests he doesn’t so much because there’s not as much scoring pressure in Tests.” Ponting, however, would not ask the 21-year-old to change the way he bats. “I’m not going to curb the way he plays, I’m not gonna tell him to slow down because if he plays his best he will win games for us,” Ponting said. “I want him to go out with pure freedom and with no other thought other than hitting the ball for a six. We saw in Mumbai, when it comes off, we’re going to win.” For all the latest news, opinions and analysis from IPL 2019, click here For the full schedule, date, time and venue of all the matches of IPL 12, click here Check out the full points table for IPL 2019, including holders of Orange and Purple Caps