Rishabh Pant has made a name for himself as a destructive batter for the Indian cricket team irrespective of the format. Pant’s unconventional shots and positive mindset has cemented his position as one of the most dangerous batters in the world right now and it is a testament to his talent that he has been hailed by cricketers from around the world. However, the shot selection has come back to haunt him on some occasions as well as major criticism over how he approaches certain situations. With ‘Bazball’ gaining prominence in Test cricket, Pant was recently asked about it and he came up with a hilarious reply.
During an interaction on YouTube, popular content creator Tanmay Bhat asked Pant whether he knows how to play it safe. Pant quickly came up with a hilarious ‘Bazball’ response that has now gone viral.
“Abhi Bazball dekh rahe ho toh maza aa raha hai. Jab mein pehle kar raha tha toh acha nahi lag raha tha kya? (When you see Bazball, you enjoy it. But didn’t you like it when I did it earlier?)
can someone show this video to ben duckett pic.twitter.com/mwFucxP6db
— Aryan Don (@aryan68753) September 8, 2024
Meanwhile, former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes Rishabh Pant is on course to become an all-time great in Test cricket but at the same time, the southpaw needs to raise his game in the shorter formats.
Pant on Sunday returned to the Test side for the first time since his life-threatening car accident in December 2022. He is expected to the start the first Test against Bangladesh beginning in Chennai on September 19.
Since his return earlier this year following the accident, Pant has played T20s and ODIs and has done well.
“I consider Rishabh Pant one of India’s best Test batsmen. I’m not surprised that he’s back in the side, and he will continue to play for India in Tests,” Ganguly said at a promotional event here.
“He will be an all-time great in Tests if he keeps performing like this. For me, he needs to get better in the shorter formats. With the talent he has, I’m sure with time, he will become one of the best.” Indian selectors have opted to give Mohammed Shami more time to recover from an ankle surgery and have named uncapped left-arm pacer Yash Dayal and Akash Deep in the squad. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are the two frontline pacers.
“I know Mohammed Shami is missing because of injury, but he will be back very soon since India is going to Australia. It’s still a very good attack,” Ganguly said.
“In India, you will see a lot more spin. In Chennai, you will see a lot more bounce. Ashwin, Jadeja, Axar, and Kuldeep are the four best spinners in the world at the moment — it won’t be easy. When you play in India, spinners have a lot more say in the game. But India are a very good team.”
“I am looking forward to their tour to Australia; that, for me, will be the real test for the squad. Then, when they tour England in July, these are the two most important tours, to be honest. I think the pace bowling department, with Bumrah and Siraj, and once Shami comes back, will be strong.”
(With PTI inputs)