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Pragyan Ojha has backed Rishabh Pant to make a strong return to India’s white-ball setup, saying that the wicketkeeper-batter has the ability to carry forward the legacy of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Ojha, who was appointed chairman of the BCCI men’s selection committee on Monday, had said in a recently resurfaced interview to
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that Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal could emerge as key figures in Indian cricket’s next phase as the team transitions from its established stars.
“Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal can fill Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s boots for Indian cricket. I believe that as you grow in Test cricket, your overall game improves with maturity. Test cricket presents a lot of challenges, and it helps you develop a better understanding of the game,” Ojha said.
Pant’s credentials in the longest format are substantial. He has scored eight Test centuries, including hundreds in Australia, England and South Africa, a rare achievement for an Indian wicketkeeper-batter. His unbeaten 159 against Australia in Sydney in January 2019, 146 at Edgbaston in July 2022 and unbeaten 100 against South Africa in Cape Town in January 2022 demsontrated his ability to counter challenging conditions away from home.
While Pant has established himself as an attacking Test batter, his white-ball record offers scope for a return to India’s plans. In 31 ODIs, he has scored 871 runs at an average of 33.50, including a century and five half-centuries. In T20 Internationals, he has made 1,209 runs in 76 matches, with a highest score of 65 not out. His ability to change the tempo of an innings and score quickly promises him to become a match-winner across all formats, and Ojha had echoed similar views.
“The way Rishabh plays his cricket, we have already seen what he can do in the IPL, where he has scored runs and been a match-winner. I believe he will do the same in the future, and we will see that over the next one to two years. When you see such talent, you back it. You know that this spark can turn into a fire, and once that happens, there will be no one to compete with him,” Ojha said.
India begin their five-match T20I series will be followed by five ODIs and a two-Test series beginning in Wellington on November 19. Pant has been named in India’s Test squad, subject to fitness clearance following a left-side strain, but is not part of the announced ODI squad for the tour. His immediate route back into India’s white-ball plans will therefore depend on his form, fitness and the selectors’ assessment of the team’s needs.
“Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal can fill Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s boots for Indian cricket. I believe that as you grow in Test cricket, your overall game improves with maturity. Test cricket presents a lot of challenges, and it helps you develop a better understanding of the game,” Ojha said.
Pant’s credentials in the longest format are substantial. He has scored eight Test centuries, including hundreds in Australia, England and South Africa, a rare achievement for an Indian wicketkeeper-batter. His unbeaten 159 against Australia in Sydney in January 2019, 146 at Edgbaston in July 2022 and unbeaten 100 against South Africa in Cape Town in January 2022 demsontrated his ability to counter challenging conditions away from home.
While Pant has established himself as an attacking Test batter, his white-ball record offers scope for a return to India’s plans. In 31 ODIs, he has scored 871 runs at an average of 33.50, including a century and five half-centuries. In T20 Internationals, he has made 1,209 runs in 76 matches, with a highest score of 65 not out. His ability to change the tempo of an innings and score quickly promises him to become a match-winner across all formats, and Ojha had echoed similar views.
“The way Rishabh plays his cricket, we have already seen what he can do in the IPL, where he has scored runs and been a match-winner. I believe he will do the same in the future, and we will see that over the next one to two years. When you see such talent, you back it. You know that this spark can turn into a fire, and once that happens, there will be no one to compete with him,” Ojha said.
India begin their five-match T20I series will be followed by five ODIs and a two-Test series beginning in Wellington on November 19. Pant has been named in India’s Test squad, subject to fitness clearance following a left-side strain, but is not part of the announced ODI squad for the tour. His immediate route back into India’s white-ball plans will therefore depend on his form, fitness and the selectors’ assessment of the team’s needs.
