Heaping praise on Rishabh Pant, former India chairman of selectors Kiran More said the talented wicketkeeper-batsman has the potential to lead India in the future and take the team forward. Pointing towards Pant’s mindset and fighting instincts, More said, going ahead, he can achieve a lot of things for Indian cricket.
“Rishabh Pant has the potential to take the Indian team forward. He can lead the side in future. The kind of mindset he has, he can definitely become the captain of India,” More told India TV.
“Rishabh Pant has a sharp mind, he can achieve a lot of things. But it is also up to the individual, how disciplined you are, how do you see the future,” More added.
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Pant has had a mixed bag in the international circuit so far. He was at first pitted as the replacement of Dhoni in all three formats but an inconsistent show in the sporadic opportunities that he got meant that he was dropped from all three formats of the game. The left-hander, however, made a strong comeback and emerged as the match-winner for India in Australia.
Pant carried his performance in the home series against England and forced his way back into the ODI and T20I sides too.
{{/usCountry}}Pant carried his performance in the home series against England and forced his way back into the ODI and T20I sides too.
{{/usCountry}}“If you see Rishabh Pant’s graph it has been full of ups and downs. The bad phase has made him mentally strong. He was not picked for the World Cup at first, was dropped from T20Is and ODIs as well. But the way he made a comeback through Test cricket is what makes you a real cricketer. Making a comeback after you get dropped is always the hardest but Pant has shown that he belongs at that level. He will take Indian cricket forward,” More said.
When asked about the comparison between Dhoni and Pant, the former India wicketkeeper-batsman said Pant needs time and needs to be nurtured well.
“Rishabh has come into the Indian team at a very young age. He is still very young. So you have to give time to a player (to mature). Yes, he will make mistakes here and there, that is natural. When Mahi came, he was a lot matured. He was not as young as Pant when he came into the Indian team. Pant, on the other hand, has come up through the U19 ranks and is a rare talent. He needs to be nurtured well,” he said.
More further added that Dhoni has shown the way for keepers to be considered as captaincy material, which was not the case earlier.
“Earlier, people used to say that a wicket cannot be a captain as it is very difficult to concentrate, keep an eye on the field placements, bowling changes, it can play on your mind and you can miss chances behind the stumps but MS Dhoni changed it all around. But I know I think, especially in shorter formats a wicket-keeper can be a very good captain.
“Even in IPL you have a lot of wicket-keepers who captain their sides like MS Dhoni, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant,” he said.
Pant is currently in Mumbai, training with the Indian side before they travel to England for the World Test Championship against New Zealand followed by a five-match Test series against the hosts.