After returning to competitive cricket after a near-fatal automobile accident in December 2022, Rishabh Pant has been in incredible form, according to former New Zealand cricketer Ian Smith.
After leading the Delhi Capitals to victory in the 2024 Indian Premier League, the southpaw was selected for the Indian team competing in the Men’s T20 World Cup. With a few tiny yet significant knocks against Ireland, Pakistan, and Afghanistan during the historic ICC event, Pant displayed flashes of his brilliance.
“Rishabh Pant has recovered quite well from his injury and appears to be in excellent shape. He is animated. The Times of India cited Smith as adding, “He’s dangerous and aggressive.”
Smith continued by praising Pant’s versatility as a batsman in the three distinct game formats and his ability to provide support for other batters.
I really feel that in white-ball cricket, your greatest players should be able to face the most deliveries, so three is a terrific location for him. He can complement who’s with him, whether he comes in to help Rohit Sharma or to support Kohli. And for that reason, Smith claimed, he is valued.
If things don’t go as planned, he has alternative options. He can hit the first ball he faces out of the ground. You know, KL Rahul was a really fantastic player, and he’s replaced him. Cricket player KL Rahul is elite level. That sums it all up for me,” he continued.
It will be a few more years before anyone compares him to Gilchrist: Smith
Rishabh Pant and the renowned Australian wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist share certain similarities, according to Smith. The former cricket player who is now a broadcaster, nevertheless, feels that the Indian gloveman still needs to catch up to the Australian legend, who has amassed over 15,000 runs in international cricket and more than 800 catches behind the wickets.
“Oh year, he still has some work ahead of him. Sure, but there is a comparable kind of batsman who can bat lower in the order during a Test match. Additionally, in white-ball cricket, one might return to the top of the order. There you have it—that Gilchrist-like quality. The cricketer-turned-commentator clarified, “But if he keeps up this pace for a few more years, then people will say Gilchrist and Pant, yeah, very close.”
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