Former India cricketer Rishabh Pant picked Rishabh Pant as Rohit Sharma's successor for Test captaincy. Rohit-led India recently faced a humiliating 3-0 loss against New Zealand. Pant who made his Test comeback in September against Bangladesh has finished the Test series as India's highest run-getter scoring 261 runs to his name from six innings. Impressed with Pant’s exploits with bat, Kaif feels that the 27-year-old is in contention to be India’s next Test captain.
This Test series loss against New Zealand was the first time in the history of Test cricket that a visiting team whitewashed India on home soil.
“From the current team only Rishabh Pant is the contention to be Test captain. He’s worthy of it, whenever he’s played, he’s put the Indian team in front. Whichever number he comes to play, he’s ready to play a match-winning knock. He’s scored in all types of conditions be it England, Australia or South Africa. Be it seaming to turning tracks, he’s a complete batter,” said Kaif on Instagram Live with Sports Tak.
Rishabh Pant will retire as a legend: Mohammad Kaif
Kaif also reckoned that Pant will retire from the longest format of the game as a legend.
“When Rishabh Pant will be playing his last Test match, he will retire as a legend. He’s shown that already, his keeping has improved drastically. Till he was at the crease, New Zealand didn’t breathe easy. Hence, I believe from the current lot, if you’re looking for a future captain, Rishabh Pant deserves to be Rohit Sharma’s successor especially in Test cricket,” he added.
Since his return, Pant has emerged as the leading run-scorer of the home season, amassing 422 runs in ten innings with an average of 46.88 and a strike rate of 86.47, including three fifties and one century. Throughout his career, the southpaw has showcased his batting skills with impressive hundreds in Australia, England, and South Africa, and he currently shares the record for the most Test centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper.
With another tour to Australia approaching, Pant's reputation as a wicketkeeper-batsman is poised to grow as India seeks their third consecutive series victory down under.
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