Published 17:42 IST, January 7th 2020
BCCI Prez Sourav Ganguly exudes confidence in Rishabh Pant, calls him a 'special talent'
BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has exuded confidence in young Rishabh Pant, who has had a bumpy ride so far and labelled him as 'special talent' in the team
India's first wicketkeeper choice after MS Dhoni's continued sabbatical, young Rishabh Pant has had a very bumpy ride in the team so far. The Delhi-lad has been often blasted by fans for throwing away his wicket carelessly and also missing opportunities in the field. However, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has exuded confidence in Pant and labelled him as 'special talent' in the team.
'His Test record has been good'
The former Indian skipper while highlighting Pant's selection on Tuesday said, "These are selection matters which are dealt with by selectors. But Rishabh Pant is a special talent and we saw how he played well in the two matches he played against West Indies. His record in Test cricket has been good, but the end decision would be left to the selectors."
Furthermore, the BCCI President also spoke about having more pink-ball Tests in India after India's recent one against Bangladesh in Kolkata. Ganguly said, ”We will have to discuss this with the other cricket boards as well. But the pink ball Test has definitely gained popularity in India.”
Rohit Sharma's advice to Pant
Earlier on Monday, India's limited-overs Vice-Captain, Rohit Sharma in an interview with PTI said that the youngster is just 21 and people expect him to score hundreds in every game. Sharma said, "I was telling Pant the same thing. Poor guy is only 21 (22) and people are telling him to score hundreds in every game, do this and do that. I mean cut some slack man. I told Rishabh 'Create a wall and ensure that nobody comes inside. It's your safe-house. People want to talk about you, let them do it outside that wall and you do what you intend to do inside your zone'. Who knows it might help Rishabh. It worked for me at least."
'Keep away from opinions, focus on game'
Veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel on Thursday advised young Rishabh Pant to ignore criticism and focus on his game. "Today's youngsters have got that advantage of playing with the big players and sharing the dressing room with them. But when you are struggling for form, you get opinions from all quarters. It's about keeping yourself away from opinions and focus on your game," Patel said.
Updated 17:42 IST, January 7th 2020