Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting showered rich praise on the talented goalkeeper-fielder Rishabh PanFor his immense contribution to Indian cricket. The legendary batter also spoke of Pant’s great achievements and resilience.
Ponting described Pant as a “winner” and said the left-hander had already made a big impact in his short career. The 25-year-old star has cemented his place in the Indian cricket team in all three formats after recovering from several injuries sustained in a car accident in December 2022.
Rishabh Pant is a serious cricketer: Ricky Ponting
with India Set for a grueling Test tour in Australia, Pant, who has already been his team’s hero in past victories, will once again be the X-factor for the tourists with a hat-trick of Test series wins in Australia. It should be noted that they will play a five-match Test series later this year.
Pantt is known for his playful nature both on and off the field and even in the recent Duleep Trophy 2024 match, the wicketkeeper was seen sharing some banter with Kuldeep Yadav, but his spark didn’t die as he was already shattered. fifty in the tournament. It was his comeback game in red ball cricket.
Reacting to his character, the former Delhi Capitals (DC) coach highlighted that Pant has fun on the field, but that does not mean he is not serious about his cricketer. Furthermore, Ponting compared Pant to the legendary MS Dhoni in terms of Test centuries and significant performances.
Ricky Ponting compares Rishabh Pant to MS Dhoni
Sky Sports reports Ricky Ponting: “We’ve all seen him play and heard him on a stump mic; he is an infectious character to have around the group. He loves his cricket; he is victorious; that’s it. He doesn’t just play to score a few runs and be there for fun.
He must already have 4 or 5 Test hundreds and he has close to 90s too. (MS) Dhoni played for 120 Tests (90) and scored 3 or 4 hundreds (6); that’s how good this guy (Pant) is. He is a serious cricketer.”
The former Australian captain noted how Pant can fantastically balance his fun-loving personality with his serious approach to the game, a quality that sets him apart from others.
Ricky Ponting also admires Pant’s strength and mental fortitude after a serious car accident. He said there were challenges in his path but Pant’s determination to get back into the game and form helped him come back as a champion player.
Ricky Ponting recalled that Pant was confident of his recovery and true to his faith, the DC skipper not only featured as a wicketkeeper in IPL 2024 but was also instrumental in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup win.
Ricky Ponting said, “It’s a great comeback. I didn’t think he will play in IPL 2024. But 12 months ago, he said, “Don’t worry about me; I guarantee you I will be right for the IPL.’ We thought he might hit and we might have to use him as a sub (impact player) but he saved every game, was one of our best run-scorers at No. 3 in the World T20. Cup is part of the World Cup winning team and is currently named in the test squad.
