Rishabh Pant is a gifted bundle of talent: Syed Kirmani

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been consistently among the runs of late. The 23-year-old played a pivotal role in India’s historic triumph Down Under. Despite the disappointing result for Team India in the first test match against England, Pant scored a solid 91 of 88 balls in the first innings.

Former World Cup-winning wicketkeeper-batsman, Syed Kirmani praised Rishabh Pant's batting prowess and suggested he has to work on his keeping technique to match both skill sets.

Speaking to reporters, Kirmani said: “Rishabh Pant is a gifted bundle of talent, a gifted natural stroke player. But he is in the cradle of wicket-keeping, he has to learn a lot. He has to learn when to strike also, which he did in Australia.”

“Pant has to have a basic correct technique in wicket-keeping, which is not there. The ability of a keeper is judged only when he stands up to the stumps. He can keep to fastest bowlers in the world because you have enough time, distance is enough, you can see the swing, bounce of the ball, and accordingly, you can move. You can anticipate and collect,” he added.

On Pant’s instrumental role in breaching Australia’s fortress 

“Very composed innings he (Pant) played and he won the match for the country for the first time (in Brisbane). There were many occasions where he could have won the game for India but threw away his wicket,” he said.

If there's one thing that every cricket expert points out is that Pant usually throws away his wicket when he's looking in such a good form.

“Here also, he threw his wicket away. When any batsman reaches 80, his focus should be getting to a hundred and for that, you can’t take the risk. You can’t say I am a natural hooker or natural stroke player, you have to play to the situation and circumstances you are in,” he added.

“I like what he did in Australia, and he was composed. Where he had to block, he blocked, where he had to go for it, he went for it. That is how he should adapt to each of his innings, which will come by experience only, it will not come immediately. He is learning and he is still in his 20s. A player starts maturing when he is 30. It’s a learning process for everyone till we breathe our last like in any walk of life,” the former Karnataka wicket-keeper concluded.