Cricket News: Rishabh Pant, the rising star of Indian Test Cricket
By scoring 50 runs off 31 balls in the second innings against Sri Lanka on March 14, 2022, Rishabh Pant, the middle order batsman and wicket keeper for India,broke Kapil Dev's (former retired cricketer of India) record of making the fastest 50 in Test cricket by an Indian cricketer.
Image credit: pia.images.co.uk Unconventional Rishab Pant
Wasim Jaffer (retired cricketer of India) commented on Rishabh Pant's brilliant performance and appreciated the fact that he played with an attacking intent without being bothered about the conditions that he was playing in. Pant's performance helped India take the lead of over 400 in the Test match against Sri Lanka.
Method in Madness!
Wasim Jaffer spoke to ESPNcricinfo about Rishabh Pant's performance and said, "Looking at him, there’s a method to what he does. He comes out and attacks the first few balls. Obviously, the team (opposition) expects him to do that, but he puts the (opposition) team on the back foot, and then he plays the waiting game and then surprises with his attacking shots." Wasim Jaffer explained how Rishabh Pant does not only play with attacking intent but also has a calculated and methodical approach behind it.
Next Captain India?
In January 2022, when Virat Kohli had stepped down from the captaincy of the Indian cricket team, the board was looking for new captains for Test, ODI, and T20. Sunil Gavaskar, one of the brilliant batsmen of India said that he would love to see Rishabh Pant as the new captain of the Indian Test cricket team. “It’s going to be quite a debate as far as the selection committee is concerned as to who should be taking Indian cricket forward. First of all, it should be someone who is an automatic pick across all formats of the game. Once that happens, it will be a lot easier,” Gavaskar said. “If you ask me, I am still saying, I would look at Rishabh Pant as the next India captain.”
Sunil Gavaskar also went on to say that if Rishabh Pant is declared the captain of the Indian Test cricket team, it will also substantially enhance his batting skills. He explained that when Ricky Ponting stepped down from his role as the skipper of Mumbai Indians, Rohit Sharma was named as the new skipper, and his batting improved manifolds. He said, "I think that sense of responsibility given to Rishabh Pant will help him score many more of that wonderful hundred he scored at Newlands."