2 min readUpdated: Mar 23, 2026 12:14 AM IST In a bid to make up for lost time and opportunities in white-ball cricket, Rishabh Pant has seemingly undergone a rapid transformation in his physique and cricket over the last few months. Pant, who has been overlooked from India’s T20I squad over the last two years and demoted to the back-up wicket-keeper in ODI cricket, is gearing up for a pivotal IPL 2026 season with the Lucknow Super Giants. The LSG captain was signed at Rs 27.50 crore last year, but his season ended with middling figures, compounded by the captaincy tag that had appeared to bog him down. Before arriving in Chennai — where Lucknow have set up their pre-season base at former India bowling coach Bharat Arun’s academy, Coaching Beyond — Pant spent five days in Mumbai working with Yuvraj Singh, the Indian Express had reported last week. The sessions with Yuvraj, who has played a key role in the development of Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, were focused on the basics: retaining shape, …