Former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel has put Rishabh Pant’s Test value in the strongest possible terms. Speaking on Aakash Chopra’s podcast, Patel said the left-hander is as crucial to the Indian
side in the longest format as Jasprit Bumrah or Virat Kohli when he was captain. Pant’s strike rate in Tests is almost 74, which is high for a specialist keeper-batter, yet the average and match-winning contributions keep him central to India’s red-ball plans. The numbers and the big moments explain why Patel places him alongside Bumrah and Kohli in importance for the Test side.
Parthiv Patel said “Rishabh Pant as important as Bumrah, Virat Kohli the Captain for India”. [Aakash Chopra YT] https://t.co/TvoXLs4jYl
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 10, 2026
“I am very surprised looking at Pant’s white-ball numbers. He has not been able to perform as per his ability in ODIs, T20Is, or in the IPL. That is something which I find like a puzzle. I would like to solve it if given an opportunity. In Test cricket, Pant is as important as Bumrah or Kohli the captain. He has won a lot of games. The way he plays, there will always be criticism. But the success ratio is very high. This is why he is that X factor. You cannot tell him to be more responsible.” Parthiv Patel said
He also defended Pant’s glovework, which often drew less attention than the big shots. “I think his wicket-keeping skills are not appreciated enough. He will not appear to you as technical as Wriddhiman Saha. But he drops very few catches. He has that consistency even on difficult pitches. If you criticise him when he gets out, you have no right to praise him when he steps out and smashes sixes. As a complete package, he is definitely India’s best as a wicket-keeper batter.” he added.
Rishabh Pant’s Test performances
In Test cricket Pant has been excellent for India ever since making his debut. Across more than 50 matches he has scored over 3,600 runs at an average in the mid-40s, with eight centuries and around 20 half-centuries. His highest score remains the unbeaten 159 in Sydney that helped secure a series win in Australia. Pant has been out of India’s white-ball plans and has been playing domestic cricket, including the Irani Cup.
He has already played plenty of crucial knocks for India in red ball cricket. Some of his best knocks include 114 at The Oval on debut tour of England, the Gabba-chasing 89 that sealed the 2020-21 series in Australia, the rapid 146 at Edgbaston, the century in Cape Town under pressure, and the twin hundreds at Headingley in 2025 (134 and 118). He has also proved durable behind the stumps, taking a high volume of catches and stumpings while maintaining consistency on challenging surfaces.
