Rishabh Pant Lauded by Chappell for Innovation

Greg Chappell, a former captain of Australia, praised India’s Rishabh Pant, saying that the wicketkeeper batsman is “reinventing the game” with his unique way of hitting.

The left-handed hitter set a new record in India’s five-wicket loss to England at Headingley in Leeds by scoring hundreds in both innings. His batting achievements garnered him acclaim from former India head coach Chappell, who commended his ability to score runs at a quick rate and unusual shots, calling him interesting to watch for keeping the opposition on their toes.

“The beauty of it (Pant’s batting) is that he earns his runs at a fairly fast rate, which allows you time to win cricket matches. He played amazingly well—some of the shots he made definitely weren’t in the MCC teaching manual the last time I looked at it. “He’s changing the game as a batsman,” Chappell added.

“You know, the bats are extremely different now that we have contemporary equipment. Obviously, you can play shots that weren’t possible with the original bats. But wow, he’s fun to watch. You never quite know what to expect from the first ball at any level. He’ll probably jump down the wicket to the quick bowlers, or he’ll hit the falling ramp shot. He said, “You never really know what to expect, which keeps the other team on their toes.”

Greg Chappell then compared Rishabh Pant to the famous Australian wicketkeeper batter Adam Gilchrist, saying that he could score runs very quickly.

He said, “What a fun cricketer, what a player to have on your team.”

“When I first saw him, he was a different kind of player, but he reminded me a lot of Adam Gilchrist.” You know how much better a team can be with a wicketkeeper who can bat at that level and score runs rapidly.