'He has been on the road for couple of years non-stop': Uthappa feels 'fatigue' is affecting inconsistent India batter

Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has opined that Team India's wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been going through a lean patch of late due to fatigue and that he needs a break. 

While speaking on an ESPNCricinfo show, Uthappa explained that long durations inside multiple-bio bubbles take a toll on a player's mental health and causes ‘lack of clarity’ as well. He also said that the swashbuckling left-hander, who has proven himself time and again, has been on the road ‘non-stop’ for a long time now.

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“Rishabh has been on the road with the Indian team for a couple of years non-stop. He has made himself available to play anything and everything without complaining. To be constantly in a bubble saps you. I am certain that also has an implication on the way he performs on the field. Maybe lack of clarity or mental fatigue, it could be just that as well. He is a high-class player and it’s a matter of time before he comes back and hits the ball the way we know he can. I think he deserves a bit of a break to just switch off from cricket," elaborated Uthappa. 

Pant, in the recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand, which swept clean 3-0, registered scores of 17*, 12*, and 4, respectively, in the three matches. 

Meanwhile, Pant came under scrutiny from former Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori, who said that that if Pant doesn't shed his inconsistency, he may end up being replaced. 

“I will be surprised if they (team management) don’t talk long and hard about what they expect from him. But, the onus is on Pant to find that right tempo. The reality is, if he doesn’t, they can look elsewhere. They have Ishan Kishan and KL can keep wickets as well in T20. They will give Pant the opportunity to find his rhythm, knowing that they can change pretty quick as well," said Vettori.