Former India wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani believes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has overtaken Rishabh Pant when it comes to natural batting talent, and has challenged Pant to lift his own standards.
Pant’s breakthrough
Pant arrived in IPL 2018 with a breakthrough season for Delhi Capitals, scoring 684 runs in 14 matches at an average of 52.61 and a strike rate of 173.60, which won him the Emerging Player of the Season award. He has since become a key figure in India’s Test side, though his white-ball returns have often drawn scrutiny.
Kirmani’s comparison
Kirmani, a World Cup winner with India, said he had regarded Pant as the most gifted Indian player since Sachin Tendulkar, until Sooryavanshi emerged. Setting wicketkeeping aside and judging purely as batters, he feels the youngster now has more natural talent.
Areas to work on
Kirmani nonetheless feels the 28-year-old Pant has plenty to improve. He listed physical fitness, consistency and temperament, calling Pant’s temperament vulnerable and turbulent. No player can simply say he is a born hitter who attacks every ball, Kirmani argued; success depends on reading the situation, the format and the team’s needs.
He also warned that reputation alone will not guarantee Pant a place. Wherever he is picked, Kirmani said, he must prove his fitness, deliver performances and show more consistency than the other wicketkeepers competing for the spot. That, he concluded, is the challenge facing him.
