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Cricket Players'Hope he takes care of his weight. He can be a model, earn in crores': Shoaib Akhtar's unique advice for India star
The Pakistan speedster spoke in detail about the Indian player, insisting that he has the potential to be a “superstar.”
Team India produced an emphatic performance in the white-ball leg of the recently-concluded tour to England. While the Rohit Sharma-led side beat England 2-1 in the T20I series, the side held its nerve in the decider of the ODI series to defeat the hosts by a similar margin. In the final match of the series, India were in a spot of bother in the 261-run chase, losing their renowned top-3 of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virat Kohli for a combined score of 35.
However, young wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant (125*) showed his class as he forged a 133-run stand alongside Hardik Pandya (71) to bail India out of trouble. Pant eventually hit the winning runs as India chased down the target in merely 42.1 overs.
Following his maiden century knock in ODIs, Pant drew immense praise from fans and former cricketers alike, and Pakistan's pace legend Shoaib Akhtar also hailed the young wicketkeeper-batter on Tuesday.
“He has the cut shot, pull shot, reverse sweep.. he isn't afraid. He won the match in Australia, he won the match here (in England) and took India to a series victory,” Akhtar said on his official YouTube channel.
However, the pacer, fondly known as the ‘Rawalpindi Express’, also advised Pant to shed some weight. “He is a little overweight. I hope he takes care of that. Because India's market is big. He's good-looking. He can emerge as a model, earn in crores. Because whenever a person becomes a star in India, a lot of investment is made on them,” said Akhtar.
“The talent he has, he will put oppositions in a lot of trouble. Against England, he adopted a calculated approach while pacing the innings, and then turn ruthless. He can accelerate whenever he want. In times to come, Rishabh Pant is going to be a superstar. The only one can who can stop him is Pant himself," Akhtar added.
Pant will be next seen in action in the five-match T20I series against the West Indies, that begins on July 29.
