"Mahi Bhai has played here a lot but...": Rishabh Pant shuts down comparisons with MS Dhoni

Rishabh Pant made a stunning return to the Test arena. The wicketkeeper-batsman had not played a Test match since the series in Bangladesh in December 2022.

He was sidelined for more than a year due to the serious injuries that he had sustained in the horrific car crash. The southpaw returned to competitive cricket in March this year when he led Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. He then returned to international cricket by plying his trade for Team India in the T20 World Cup.

And earlier this week, Rishabh Pant finally made his much-awaited return to Test cricket as he played in the recently concluded first Test against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The Delhi star announced his arrival in the longest format of the game in style.

After scoring 39 runs in the first innings, he scored a scintillating century in the second innings. India were reeling at 67 for 3 when Rishabh Pant came out to bat in the second innings. He then went on to score 109 runs and shared a 167-run stand with Shubman Gill (119*) to put India in the driver's seat.

Rishabh Pant on comparison with MS Dhoni:

The century against Bangladesh helped Rishabh Pant equal the legendary MS Dhoni's Test century tally. Dhoni retired from the Tests after scoring 6 tons. Incidentally, Pant reached the milestone at a venue that is considered Dhoni's second home because of his association with Chennai Super Kings.

And as Pant was speaking at the end of the game, the broadcasters tried drawing a parallel between him and Dhoni. In response, the wicketkeeper reiterated that while Dhoni has done a lot, he just wants to be himself. He also said that he enjoyed the atmosphere in Chennai.

"It’s CSK’s home ground, Mahi Bhai has played here a lot but I’ve always said that I want to be myself. I don’t focus on other things. Instead, I try to keep things simple and always try to give my best. But the atmosphere was lively and I enjoyed it," Pant told on JioCinema after the game.

Pant further admitted that he was a little nervous over his much-awaited return to Test cricket, saying: "Definitely, I was a little nervous. It happens with me in every game, doesn’t matter if I’m getting a hundred or not. For this game, I was back in action after two years so, I was a little more nervous than usual.

Meanwhile, India went on to win the Test by 280 runs to take an unassailable lead in the two-match series. After setting a huge target of 515 runs, the hosts bowled out Bangladesh for 234 runs. The second Test is scheduled to be played from September 27 at Green Park, Kanpur.