'Rare Talent' Will Be A Massive Game Changer In All Formats: Sourav Ganguly

Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly has hailed Rishabh Pant as a rare talent as the latter continues to impress for India since making his Test debut.

Rishabh Pant has not looked back since starring for India in the Under-19 World Cup last year. In the same year, the southpaw took domestic cricket by storm last year. Pant grabbed the headlines after slamming 308 off just 326 balls against Maharashtra in Ranji Trophy before following it up with a 48-ball hundred against Jharkhand which is one of the fastest first-class centuries by an Indian.

Pant went on to finish the season with  972 runs in only eight outings including four centuries, a couple of the fifties and an amazing strike-rate of over 107.

The 2017 was not a great year by his standards and he is making amends for it in 2018 in style. He began the year with a stunning 32-ball ton in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The left-hander then ended the IPL season as the second highest run-getter with 684 runs from 14 games. It included five fifties and one century.

His exploits helped him win the Emerging Player of IPL 11. He soon found a place in India A squad for the England tour where he made an impression too,

It paved his way for Test call-up for the England series and he has totally justified the call so far. The southpaw got off the mark in Tests with a six before scoring a stunning century in the final Test.

It was followed by a blistering 84-ball 92 runs knock against West Indies in the first Test. The knock paved the way for his maiden ODI call up for the upcoming series against West Indies. And the 21-year old celebrated the call with yet another impressive knock on Saturday in the second Test.

He played an attractive unbeaten knock of 85 off 120 balls to bail India out of trouble. India were reeling at 162 for 4 in reply to 311 when Pant arrived at the crease. But his positive game soon helped the hosts to settle down as they finished the day on 308 for 4.

Impressed with his game, Sourav Ganguly took to Twitter to lavish praise on the youngster, writing:

“Rishabh pant is so freshing at the crease .. just natural .. will be a massive game changer in this side in all formats .. rare talent”

@RishabPant777 @BCCI @vikrantgupta73 @samiprajguru Rishabh pant is so freshing at the crease .. just natural .. will be a massive game changer in this side in all formats .. rare talent

— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) October 13, 2018