He's the future captain after Rohit Sharma: Former India opener's brave prediction for rising star
Arun Lal feels Rishabh Pant can handle pressure and is not afraid to play his natural game, qualities which will help the team go forward if he is appointed as the captain of India in future.
Former India batter Arun Lal said wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant can be the future captain of India after Rohit Sharma. Pant, who has already led India in the home T20I series against South Africa when regular captain Rohit and vice-captain KL Rahul were not available, is part of the leadership group now. And Lal feels Pant can handle pressure and is not afraid to play his natural game, qualities which will help the team go forward if he is appointed as the captain of India in future.
“Yes, absolutely (On being asked if Rishabh Pant is the future captain after Rohit Sharma). Lal told Jagran TV. "I always feel that the captain must deserve his place among the top three in the team. He (Pant) is someone who is not afraid to play his game, can handle pressure well, can take the team out of tough situations and such a player can be a great leader. It will be good for Indian cricket if we can have an aggressive player like Pant as captain of the side," he added.
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Pant has had captaincy exposure very early in his career. He was appointed the captain of Delhi's Ranji Trophy team even before he had made his India debut. Currently, he is the captain of the Delhi Capitals in the IPL.
Pant, who slammed his maiden ODI hundred in the series-deciding match against England in Manchester on Sunday, is often criticised for not translating his Test form into the white-ball formats but Lal believes it is only a matter of time before Pant takes starts to win limited-overs matches for India regularly.
"If Pant can play consistently, he will be a hero for the Indian team," he added. “If you play well in red-ball format, there are chances that you will do well in white-ball format too with a little bit of adjustment. However, it’s not necessary that if you play well in the white-ball format, you will be able to perform the same way in the red-ball format because in Test cricket, you need a different set of skills, the ability to handle different kind of pressure, physical fitness to sustain five-day cricket. I have seen Rishabh Pant changing the tides both in Tests and limited-overs formats. It is not about scoring centuries, but a century that comes under difficult circumstances and helps to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat," said the former Bengal coach.
“Slamming a hundred at 50 for 5 is more special than scoring a hundred at 500 for 4. These knocks help you stand out. Rishabh Pant is unparalleled," Lal said.