Replacing MS Dhoni Was Never Easy But Rishabh Pant Has Team’s Backing – Vikram Rathour
Jun 27, 2020 at 2:57 PM
India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour feels it was never easy to replace a legendary player like MS Dhoni. Dhoni has served Indian cricket for the last 15 years and he played many roles in the success of the team. Dhoni is well known for his captaincy success, he is regarded as the best wicket-keeper as well as the finisher of the limited-overs format. Ergo, the former Indian skipper is a complete package.
On the other hand, Rishabh Pant has the backing of the team management. Pant has shown the skills but he is yet to grab his chances in the white-ball format. The southpaw has impressed with the bat in the Test format but he is yet to prove his mettle in the limited-overs format. In fact, Pant has struggled to find a place in the final XI in the T20I and ODI side as KL Rahul has been passed over the wicket-keeping baton.
MS Dhoni is a complete package
Consequently, it is essential for Pant to make his chances count whenever he gets them. He has shown all the talent but he also needs to grab his chances. It is expected that he would get better as he will gain more experience.
Vikram Rathour said while talking to Sportskeeda, “He (Rishabh Pant) hasn’t had a great last year and hasn’t done too well in international cricket. He still has the backing of the team management and we believe he is a special player. He can still bring a lot to the Indian cricket team once he starts scoring,” he said.
“MS Dhoni is still around, we don’t know what is happening with him, but replacing someone like him is not and was never going to be easy, with the kind of stature he had in international cricket. Pant has had a few failures so he has been under pressure to perform, but something like this makes you a stronger and better player,” Rathour added.
There are doubts over the future of MS Dhoni and it is unlikely that he is going to make a comeback into the national colors. On the other hand, Rishabh Pant will aim to cement his place in the limited-overs format.
Pant has scored 374 runs in 16 ODI matches whereas the left-hander has scored 410 runs in 27 T20I matches. Thus, he needs to be more consistent in his performances to make a case for himself.