Rishabh Pant's international career made a complete turnaround in the past four months, as the wicketkeeper-batsman became an indispensable part of the side across all three formats. A fearless batting approach and the ability to singlehandedly change the course of the game have brought him plaudits from fans and experts alike.
Australia's premier fast bowler Pat Cummins has become the latest to heap praise on the 23-year-old Indian, who will take over his first leadership assignment in the Indian Premier League with Delhi Capitals this season.
“As a fan, you always tend to enjoy someone who is playing a completely different game than everybody else. They are fearless, you look at them and feel geez wish I could do that as well, geez he was Brave. So, I think in three recent series it was Rishabh Pant,” Cummins told Australian seamer Joshua Lalor in a show called ‘Morton Someday’.
Cummins believes that Pant is "always good to watch," adding that very few players can make such an impact in a game as he does.
“You just got to say well done when someone plays like that, takes the game on and it comes off. You've probably got 50 other players who probably wouldn't have taken the game on like that. He's always good to watch,” Cummins added.
Pant, who made a return to the Indian team in the second Test against Australia in December last year, went on to make a match-winning contribution in the deciding fourth-Test of the series at the Gabba, playing an unbeaten 89-run knock to aid India in successfully chasing the 328-run target on the final day of the match.
He was eventually selected in all the four Tests of the home series against England, making crucial contributions with the bat and behind the stumps. Eventually, Pant made a return to the India's limited-overs sides.
