Rishabh Pant Could Captain India in Future, Says Arun Lal

Arun Lal, a former Indian cricketer, believes that Rishabh Pant has all the necessary traits to succeed Rohit Sharma as captain of the Indian cricket team.  

Lal, 66, who recently made the decision to resign as the Bengal cricket team’s head coach, praised Pant for his capacity to produce game-changing performances under duress in both Test and limited-overs formats. 

Arun Lal Backs Rishabh Pant For Test Captaincy Role

“Yes, absolutely (On being asked if Rishabh Pant is the future captain after Rohit Sharma). I always feel that the captain must deserve his place among the top three in the team.

He (Pant) is someone who is not afraid to play his game, can handle pressure well, can take the team out of tough situations and such a player can be a great leader. It will be good for Indian cricket if we can have an aggressive player like Pant as captain of the side,” Lal told Jagran TV. 

“There was a time when winning in Test cricket was considered once you secured yourself a draw. But this thinking has changed now and I give complete credit to Virat Kohli.

He changed the mindset of the team and made the team play for a win without the fear of losing. Virat brought that aggression to the team and it can’t get any better if Pant can continue this. If Pant can play consistently, he will be a hero for the Indian team,” he added. 

Rishabh Pant Is Unparalleled: Arun Lal

At Old Trafford on Sunday, Pant’s unbroken 125 helped India defeat England by five wickets to win the third one-day international and the series 2-1. As the first Asian wicketkeeper-batsman to reach a century in both ODI and Test cricket in England, Pant has also made history in that regard. 

Lal claimed that Pant’s ability to not only smash hundreds of baskets but also to score them at crucial moments and under pressure is unmatched. 

“If you play well in red-ball format, there are chances that you will do well in white-ball format too with a little bit of adjustment.

However, it’s not necessary that if you play well in the white-ball format, you will be able to perform the same way in the red-ball format because in Test cricket, you need a different set of skills, the ability to handle different kind of pressure, physical fitness to sustain five-day cricket.

I have seen Rishabh Pant changing the tides both in Tests and limited-overs formats. It is not about scoring centuries, but a century that comes under difficult circumstances and helps to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. 

“Slamming a hundred at 50 for 5 is more special than scoring a hundred at 500 for 4. These knocks help you stand out. Rishabh Pant is unparalleled,” Lal said. 

“He is a young and talented player and generating a lot of interest with his style of play. It will be great if he can continue to play like this because he is a game-changer,” he added. 

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