Sanjay Manjrekar calls 'incredible' Rishabh Pant a 'rare gem' after stunning Chennai Test ton

Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has showered rich praise on Rishabh Pant after he made a stunning comeback with a record century in the ongoing first Test against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

He has once again made the world go gaga over him with his explosive batting in the ongoing first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. After failing to capitalize on a good start in the first innings, Rishabh Pant smashed the Bangladeshi bowlers all around the park to notch up his 6th hundred in Test cricket.

Sanjay Manjrekar lauds Rishabh Pant’s stunning comeback in Test cricket

The left-handed batter played a remarkable knock of 109 runs off 128 balls studded with 13 boundaries and four maximums to announce his comeback in the traditional format of the game in style. His remarkable knock helped India declare their second innings at 287/4 against Bangladesh.

After the Indian cricket team set the 515-run target for Bangladesh to win the first Test in Chennai, Sanjay Manjrekar took to his social media handle to hail Rishabh Pant for his memorable comeback in the format. Highlighting Pant’s stats in Tests, the cricket pundit spoke highly of his Chennai knock.

Manjrekar has leveled Rishabh Pant’s 109-run knock as the all-time great innings in Test cricket. He admitted that the numbers often define a player’s legacy, but they will never tell the essence of Rishabh Pant. In 33 Tests, Pant averages 43 with an astonishing 11 fifties and 6 centuries to his name.

But there is much more to the tale when you go into the details, as among those 11 half-centuries, Rishabh Panthas struck a remarkable six 90 or 90+ scores, as highlighted by the commentator.

Stats don’t tell the full story: Sanjay Manjrekar

However, Manjrekar became a fan of Pant’s another all-time great performance in Chennai, which demonstrated his fearless side and sheer talent, calling him an incredible player. The game required grit, and Pant turned the tide around for India when it mattered most in the ongoing first Test against Bangladesh.

Manjrekar posted on X: “We know stats don’t tell the full story. So… Pant in his 33 Tests has 11 fifties and 5 hundreds. Average 43. But his 11 fifties include six nineties! & one 89*, which is an all-time great innings! #IncrediblePant”

We know stats don’t tell the full story. So…
Pant in his 33 Tests has 11 fifties & 5 hundreds. Average 43. But his 11 fifties include 6 nineties!
& one 89* which is an all time great innings! #IncrediblePant

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) September 21, 2024

Rishabh Pant is a rare gem: Rishabh Manjrekar

Meanwhile, in another tweet, Manjrekar admitted that Pant had initially puzzled him, but every time he walked to the crease, his enigma was moving away slowly. After gaining a clearer understanding of his game, Manjrekar realized that Pant wasn’t just a player; he was a rare gem shaped by the Indian grassroots system.

Manjrekar posted on X: “Was an enigma for me to begin with, but once clearly understood, I have realized that Risabh Pant is a rare gem! Hail the Indian grass root system that produced him.”

Was an enigma for me to begin with, but once clearly understood, have realised that Risabh Pant is a rare gem!
Hail the Indian grass root system that produced him👏👏#INDvBAN

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) September 21, 2024

His aggressive batting and instinctive shot selection were reflections of a player who had honed his skills in the face of adversity and how India’s grassroots cricket system nurtured such an exceptional player. Pant has now returned to his form across the three formats of the game, which is great news for India ahead of the Australia tour and Champions Trophy 2025.