Sunil Gavaskar does big U-turn on Rishabh Pant after ripping him apart in Australia

Legendary India National Cricket Team batsman Sunil Gavaskar has made a massive U-turn on star wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant after criticising him harshly during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

Sunil Gavaskar lauded Rishabh Pant for his measured innings on Day 1 of the Test series opener against the England National Cricket Team at Headingley in Leeds.

Rishabh Pant shines on Day 1

Pant walked out to bat on Day 1 after the centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal departed following his stellar display with the bat against the Ben Stokes-led side.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Rishabh Pant danced down the track to smash Ben Stokes for a four on the second ball he faced in the innings, but overall, he didn't show ultra-aggression.

The wicketkeeper-batsman was not very composed in the middle either, as he played his classic unorthodox shots. He scored runs all over the ground, but his most productive shot on the day was a straight drive.

Meanwhile, Pant completed his fifty against the English team off 91 balls, with five fours and one six. He finished the day with an unbeaten 65 runs in his bag off 102 balls, and his innings consisted of six fours and two sixes. Notably, Pant's two sixes helped him surpass Rohit Sharma as India's leading six-hitter in the ICC World Test Championship history.

When he defends, he seems to have so much time - Rishabh Pant

During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, Sunil Gavaskar's 'stupid, stupid, stupid' meltdown on Rishabh Pant's reckless batting broke the internet, but now the batting legend has made a massive U-turn.

Speaking on Sony Sports, Gavaskar lauded Pant, saying that playing attacking shots becomes easier for him after spending some time in the middle.

"Because he gives himself that time early on, it becomes easier for him to play those aggressive strokes later. When he defends, he seems to have so much time against the pace bowlers—it almost looks like he's taking the mickey out of them, saying, 'Look, I've got all the time in the world; I don't need to play a big shot, I'm just middling the ball'," he said as quoted by India Today.

He’s got enormous talent - Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar further said that Rishabh Pant has got 'enormous talent' and he is equally capable of playing both attacking and defensive cricket. He said:

"He’s got enormous talent. I’ve seen him score hundreds in South Africa and Australia, and they've been absolutely unbelievable. There’s such a great blend of defence and attack—starting with solid defence and then shifting to attack."

Gavaskar also felt that Pant batted sensibly against England on Day 1 and followed a set template that has been working for him.

"It seems like that’s how he plays. When he comes in to bat, on the second or third ball, he often uses his feet and hits a boundary.

"It makes him feel free and then allows him to play the way he wants. Over here, he's been measured in his approach—giving himself time out in the middle. But once he's in and the bowlers start to tire, that's when he begins to step down the pitch and really attack, hitting big shots, sixes, and boundaries," legendary Sunil Gavaskar stated.

Also Read: Virat Kohli vs Joe Root 'GOAT' debate settled as Ex-England captains drop bombshell verdicts