Ever since Rishabh Pant has started churning out runs from his bat, the 19-year old Delhi batsman is seen as the successor of former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his performances in recent times have only fueled the never-ending comparisons.
After playing an integral role in India Under-19 team’s march to the World Cup final last year, the hard-hitting left-handed batsman turned heads with his performance in the last edition of the Ranji Trophy. He grabbed the headlines when he scored a belligerent 308 off 326 balls against Maharashtra in Ranji Trophy last year before following up with a 48-ball hundred against Jharkhand, one of the fastest first-class centuries by an Indian. He finished Ranji Trophy as its fourth-highest run-getter with 972 runs in only 8 outings including four centuries and a couple of fifties. He was rewarded with a call-up to India’s T20 squad for the three home matches against England earlier this year.
Not surprising then the youngster has drawn huge comparison with his illustrious teammate. However, Pant, who was handed the Delhi captaincy for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, is not reading too much into the comparisons and is just focusing on his game.
“I don’t think much about all the comparisons. My focus has always been playing cricket and doing well. I just need to grab the chances and prove my mettle. IPL is a brilliant platform. We have seen people gaining attention by playing in IPL,” said Pant, who is currently plying his trade for the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL.
With just two wins in seven games, the Daredevils are fighting hard to keep their season alive. Their batsmen have struggled to post good scores on a consistent basis and it is likely that Pant could get promoted in the batting order.
Speaking on a possible new role, he said: “My role in the team is to score runs and give my best when on the field. It doesn’t matter at which number I am batting. Right now, my team demands that I finish the games batting in the middle order. The T20 format is tricky, and you have to deliver whether you play in the top order or middle order.”
So far, the left-handed batsman has scored 147 runs in 7 matches at an impressive strike-rate of over 161 and would be looking to make a big impact when the Daredevils travel to Mohali to take on the Kings XI Punjab on Sunday
(April 30).