The youngster Rishabh Pant is now and then criticised for his wrong moves. Earlier, Rohit Sharma requested everyone to keep eyes away from the youngster and allow him to play freely. The 22-year old is struggling to create an impact on the team. Former Indian wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia advises the Delhi lad to concentrate and keep practising.
Rishabh Pant made the Test debut in the Indian team in 2018. In his initial stage of the debut, Pant impressed everyone with his batting and wicketkeeping skills. But 2019 was not up to the mark for the youngster. He has also lost his place in Test cricket.
Nayan Mongia, who recently attended the event for Rotary Club of Mumbai, said that Rishabh Pant is young and has time to improve his mistakes. Small ups and downs come in every player’s career, but Pant shouldn’t get pressurised, expressed former wicketkeeper.
“Still there is a long way to go. He (Pant) is very talented. Keep practising, keep playing all the matches and whatever opportunities that you get. (Wicket) keeping is one thing where you need to keep playing matches and you can’t do much in practice, there are hardly balls coming when you are keeping in nets,” Mongia said.
“When you are keeping in the nets, keep as if you are playing in the match, this minor hiccups will come but he needs to make sure that he improves and works on it. And lesser the mistakes a keeper makes, the better he becomes. He gives more confidence to the bowler and that is what he has to do,” added the former cricketer.
Rishabh Pant has strong competitors
Rishabh Pant has been replaced by Wriddhiman Saha in Test cricket. His inconsistent performance might also take out his place from the shorter formats. The youngster has been given many opportunities to prove its worth. Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson are contenders which can give a strong fight to Pant for the place in the team. Pant should work hard to beat his competitors said Mongia, who played 44 Test matches and 140 ODIs for India.
“There are few contenders and there is no doubt. He (Pant) has to pull up his socks as far as keeping and batting is concerned.”
“(Keeping in) ODIs and T20s are really not that testing as hardly the ball comes. But Test matches are the real test for the keepers, the more you play, the more you get an experience like Wriddhiman Saha. I think he (Saha) is one of the best right now.