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'Can see a bit of Mahi in him. And rightly so, because...': Ex-India coach's key Pant observation over Dhoni comparison
Ever since his arrival to the international arena, Rishabh Pant has been compared with MS Dhoni, who remains one of the most successful captains in world cricket.
Maverick Rishabh Pant made his debut as India's captain in the T20I series against South Africa in June. There were plenty of doubts over his ability to lead when the side went 2-0 down and even after it managed to make a comeback and level the series, his wretched run with the bat sparked a debate over his place in the eleven. Ever since his arrival to the international arena, Pant has been compared with MS Dhoni, who remains one of the most successful captains in world cricket. Pant has big shoes to fill but ex-India fielding coach R Sridhar believes there are shades of Dhoni in the left-handed dasher.
Sridhar explained how Pant grew up idolising Dhoni and imbibed the cricket great's style of play. "There is a little bit of Mahi in him. Obviously, when you grow up idolizing somebody, they tend to become a part of you. You can see a bit of Mahi in Rishabh. And rightly so, because he grew up idolizing the great man," he told cricket.com.
Pant may be known for his no-holds-barred batting approach and attacking mindset but Sridhar said the 24-year-old comes across as a jovial character off the field.
“He comes across as very friendly, very jovial. He loves a laugh off the field. He is quite detached from everything else when he is off the field and is very relaxed; someone who likes to have fun. He loves his other sports. A wonderful bloke," he said.
Both Pant and Dinesh Karthik have been chosen as wicketkeeping options for the hotly-anticipated World T20, beginning next month in Australia. The question of who will be the primary option for the Indian team at the showpiece event has troubled many veterans and experts.
Pant was dropped to make way for the 37-year-old in the Asia Cup opener last month. Although eventually, it was Pant who managed to get more opportunities in the tournament. But the debate remained among discussions and reignited after the World Cup squad was named.
Head coach Rahul Dravid had also commented on the two keepers and said that a choice will be made based on conditions, brushing aside any talk of pecking order.
"There's no first-choice wicketkeeper in the side... We play according to the conditions, situation, opposition and what we feel is the best XI. There's no such a thing as first choice playing XI for every single condition. That will vary. On that day against Pakistan, we felt Dinesh was the right choice for us," said Dravid.
