Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has heaped praise on Rishabh Pant for his impressive batting during the T20 World Cup 2024. Pant, playing at No. 3, showcased his attacking style by scoring 20 off 11 balls against Afghanistan in India’s first Super 8 match. Despite the Indian openers struggling, Pant’s intent and aggression stood out.
Sunil Gavskar’s assessment of Rishabh Pant
Gavaskar commended Pant’s attitude, fitness, and rapid recovery from injuries. The left-hander’s mobility and fielding prowess impressed Gavaskar, who noted that Pant had worked hard on his fitness. Losing some weight, Pant looked leaner and fitter, making a remarkable comeback after his injury layoff.
“It’s a miracle, you know? I mean, we all were so concerned when we heard about the accident. We heard about the severity of the injuries and we were all praying for him just to be ok. But not only has he been ok, he’s come back so strongly. He’s lost a little bit of weight, which was probably needed and it looked at one stage that he was just maybe getting a little overweight. He’s lost a lot of bit of weight and he’s looking so good, so fit,” Sunil Gavaskar said.
“Look at his mobility. Those two catches that he took, he was. He ran about 20-30 yards. I know the ball was up in the air, but there was Rohit Sharma there, one of the safest pairs of hands in the game. But wicketkeeper’s gloves are always much safer than ordinary hands, you know, plain hands. So he was there and again recognising the situation,” Gavaskar added.
In the same breath, Gavaskar acknowledged Pant’s maturity would continue to develop with age. Although Pant got out attempting a reverse sweep against Rashid Khan, his overall performance bodes well for India’s campaign in the T20 World Cup.
Most catches in a T20 WC
10 – RISHABH PANT🇮🇳 in 2024*
9 – Adam Gilchrist🇦🇺 in 2007
9 – Matthew Wade🇦🇺 in 2021
9 – Jos Buttler🏴 in 2022
9 – Scott Edwards🇳🇱 in 2022
9 – Dasun Shanaka🇱🇰 in 2022#INDvAFG pic.twitter.com/k2C2njySuZ— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) June 21, 2024
“This is the maturity that is so important. We’ve seen it with Hardik Pandya, we are seeing it in Rishabh Pant’s cricket. The maturity of understanding conditions. Yes, batting-wise, he will still continue to play the game. That’s exactly what you want because he’s a naturally attacking player and he can upset the bowler totally. That’s what he did. He didn’t score too many runs. He got 20 in about 10 deliveries at a SR of 200 but that is exactly what you want at that stage,” Gavaskar concluded his assessment.
Pant’s ability to absorb pressure and attack when needed makes him a valuable asset for the team. As he continues to evolve, fans can expect more fireworks from this naturally attacking cricketer.
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