Former Indian-cricketer-turned-expert, Aakash Chopra, Monday hailed Rishabh Pant, saying he is a special player.
Pant showcased his talents with the bat in the recently concluded series against England, across all formats after being left out of the first ODI.
The Delhi cricketer scored back-to-back fifties in the last two games to help India post big totals while batting first. His catalytic innings on both occasions rescued the Indian team after the top-order collapsed in quick succession.
Pant scored 155 runs in two innings at a staggering strike rate of 152. He slammed a total of 11 maximums – the most by an Indian batsman in the ODI series – and 8 boundaries.
His bold approach in a crunch situation has left several cricket experts, including Chopra awestruck.
While speaking to Star Sports network Chopra said he believed the youngster takes ‘a bit too much risk’, which though has become his strength.
“He plays in this fashion and will continue doing so. We all feel that he takes a bit too much risk but that is his strength and style of play and if you stick to that and despite that, if you are consistent, it means you are a special player.” Chopra said.
“We say the same thing about AB de Villiers and used to say about Adam Gilchrist. We are saying the same thing about Rishabh Pant. It seems like he is taking a little chance by playing shots in the air, the ball lands in the stands.” He added
Chopra further said that Pant might not have scored a hundred in the ODIs yet, but is batting at the top of his game.
“India promoted him in the batting order. He was coming at No. 5 but was sent at No. 4 today so that the left-right combination could be maintained. Wickets had fallen one after the other, three of them had fallen together and you found yourself in a precarious situation from where you had to survive and get out.”
“He got out to a good ball, it was very full and he was probably not ready for that, Jos Buttler took a very good catch. But the destructive way he was batting, I was expecting a century, and India would have reached 370 in that case. Unfortunately, he got out. We keep waiting for a century but he is batting extremely well,” Chopra concluded