Kolkata Knight Riders wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik heaped praise on the 23-year-old Rishabh Pant, hailing his value and impact on the Indian Test and limited-overs teams.
Despite Pant posing a major hurdle to his own comeback in the national side, Karthik showered selfless praise on the youngster, recognising his unquestionable ability and promise across all forms of the game in an interview with Times of India.
“He (Rishabh Pant) lends flexibility to the team and the management has the opportunity to play the extra batsman or the bowler as per requirement. And what is most important is the way he instils fear in the mind of opposition. Pant has the effect that Virender Sehwag or Adam Gilchrist used to have on rivals.”
Karthik said.
Pant’s remarkable display as a batter in recent times and his constantly improved gloveman have also sidelined Wriddhiman Saha who, Karthik feels, “is the best wicketkeeper in the world”.
“He has Wriddhiman Saha in the team, who, according to me, is the best wicketkeeper in the world. The way Saha is, he will always be ready to help him out…And I know for a fact even Parthiv Patel helped him out when he was in Australia,”
he added.
Either side of a phase late last year where he lost his place due to question marks on form and fitness, Pant has been fantastic for India in Test match cricket. The attacking left-hand batsman boasts of an excellent record after 20 Tests for India, averaging 45.26 – highly impressive for a designated gloveman – with three centuries and six half-centuries.
After a period spent on the sidelines, Pant bounced back very strongly on the tour of Australia earlier this year and played impactful knocks in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to end with 274 runs from his five innings in India’s remarkable series victory.
Pant maintained his form and rhythm for the home series that followed against England, playing a couple of terrific innings in Chennai and Ahmedabad. He proved a pivotal figure in India’s quest to reach the World Test Championship final.
Team India will be taking on New Zealand in Southampton from June 18 to 22 for the ultimate glory. Karthik feels Virat Kohli and company stand a “very good chance” of coming out victorious in the much-anticipated clash.
“New Zealand are playing two Test matches before against England, but I don’t think that will make any difference to India’s chances. It’s a superb side and if the batting clicks and partnerships happen, they have a very good chance,”
feels Karthik.
Kohli & co landed in the UK on Thursday for the physically and mentally challenging three-month-long trip, also featuring the five-Test series versus England, starting August 4.
The tourists will stay in the UK through July after the WTC final, with Test players giving the Sri Lanka white-ball series a miss due to travel and quarantine restrictions, and play intra-squad matches in the build-up to the England challenge. Trent Bridge, Lord’s, Headingley, The Oval and Manchester will host the five Test matches.
