Rishabh Pant's role will be 'extremely important' going ahead for Virat Kohli-led India: Vikram Rathour
Rishabh Pant will be extremely critical to Virat Kohli-led Team India in the near future in the longest format, believes batting coach Vikram Rathour.
Rishabh Pant's role will be 'extremely important': Vikram Rathour | Photo Credit: AP
Ever since Rishabh Pant hit the winning runs in the fourth and final series-deciding Test between India and Australia, at The Gabba, Brisbane, to help India clinch the series 2-1 on Australian soil, the 23-year-old has been in demand. Pant, who was being seen upon as MS Dhoni's replacement across formats, has once again won the trust of the Indian youth, who are foreseeing a long run for him in all formats for the Men in Blue.
While Pant missed out on the series opener versus Australia, he regained his place for the final three encounters to return as India's highest run-getter in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, with 272 runs including a 97 in Sydney and a match-winning unbeaten 89 in Brisbane. Pant's focus has now shifted to the upcoming four-match Test series versus England, starting from February 05.
Ahead of the home series, batting coach Vikram Rathour believes Pant's progress and his overall role will hold India in good stead going forward in whites. “His role will be extremely important going ahead. We have always believed that he is one of the exceptional players," Rathour said in an interview with Hindustan Times.
"He had a tough time last year or so. But he has been working hard, training hard. We all believed (that) on his day, he is a match-winner. In the last two games he proved that. Being a left-hander is definitely an advantage (for the team)." He added, "As far as his entering the XI (purely) as a batsman, the decision will be taken on that particular day when the question arises."
RELATED NEWS
It will be interesting to see if Pant regains his place in the limited-overs line-ups during the white-ball formats versus England in March. He was out of contention, since early 2020, with the rapid rise of KL Rahul behind the stumps, who also plays as a crucial batsman at No. 5. For now, Pant looks certain to keep wickets in the first Test versus England, in Chennai from February 05.
Get Sports news including Cricket Live Updates, Football, Tennis, Badminton, WWE and other Sports on Times Now