Rishabh Pant (Image Credit: BCCI/IPL)

New Delhi: At a time when Rishabh Pant The former Indian wicketkeeper and chief selector is going through the toughest phase of his career. Kiran More Has thrown his weight firmly behind the struggling star, insisting that Pant has the courage, character and resilience to script another comeback.Pant’s difficult IPL 2026 campaign has further increased the scrutiny around him. The wicketkeeper-batsman has struggled for runs while his team, Lucknow Super Giants, has endured a forgettable season. The conflict has also spilled over to the international level, with Pant being replaced by KL Rahul as India’s Test vice-captain and losing his place as second-choice ODI wicketkeeper to Ishan Kishan for the upcoming series against Afghanistan.Pant has been able to score only 286 runs in 13 matches in IPL 2026, while under his captaincy, Lucknow Super Giants are at the bottom of the points table. He also faced criticism for using the F-word live on television after LSG’s defeat to Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur.“No, nothing like that, I am not disappointed at all. Pant is in the team, and I am very happy. He is a fighter, a player with great courage, he has a big heart and has done exceptionally well by single-handedly winning (Test) matches. I have worked with him very closely and I know him very well.”“Every cricketer goes through such a phase; you go through such a time. So I think there will definitely be a great comeback, and a strong comeback. When his life was saved and he returned to the team, he did very well, so this (current phase) is nothing compared to that,” More told IANS on Thursday.More also praised Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who has scored 579 runs in 13 matches for Rajasthan Royals and currently tops the run-scoring charts with an astonishing strike rate of 236.32.“No, look, he is a special player, and God has created and sent him, so I think it is a great thing that he sent him to India. You will keep seeing him, because he will score a lot of runs in the future.“Even if he doesn’t, he is still a special player for me. But, just let him play cricket freely and don’t put too much pressure on him because he is performing so well at such a young age, I think it’s all part of the ‘wow factor’, and I want him to play Test matches, ODIs and T20s whenever he makes his debut for India.”More also talked about the launch of the Beyond Reach Premier League, a tournament for tennis-ball cricketers. Recently, trials for the league were held in Ghaziabad under his supervision.“It’s a special league, and we wanted to do something different. It was our first tryout, and a lot of guys came out for it, and we got to see some very interesting talent.”