Rishabh Pant and Inzamam-ul-Haq. Photo Credit: Getty Images
Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq believes Rishabh Pant can surpass the records of legendary wicketkeeper-batsmen MS Dhoni and Adam Gilchrist. Inzamam observed that more than KL Rahul's hundred in the second ODI, it was Pant's quickfire half-century that propelled the hosts to a big total against England. Notably, while Rahul had made 108 off 114 balls, Pant scored a whirlwind 77 off 40 balls, which helped the Men in Blue post a competitive 336/6. However, even that total was dwarfed by the efforts of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes as England chased down India's target with 39 balls to spare. The duo hit as many as 17 sixes between them to make a mockery of India's bowling effort.
Have been following Pant the last 6-7 months, he is amazing: Haq
"The one who gave India the boost in batting in the lower order was Rishabh Pant, who scored a brilliant 77 off 40 balls. Because of him, India’s run-rate spiked. I have been following him for the last 6-7 months, and the way he is batting and scoring effectively at different positions is amazing," Inzamam said in a video he uploaded on his YouTube channel.
"The way he expresses himself and the range of strokes he has, I have seen it only in two wicketkeeper batsmen in the last 30-35 years, MS Dhoni and Adam Gilchrist. These were the two wicket-keepers who could change a match. The kind of performance Rishabh Pant is giving, if he continues to play in the same manner, he will leave both of them behind, and by quite some distance," he added.
Due to his recent batting heroics, the southpaw has garnered a lot of appreciation from all over the cricketing world. Pant will be in action on on Sunday as India take on England in the series-decider.