3 incredible chases that prove Rishabh Pant is the true student of MS Dhoni
Rishabh Pant is one of those cricketers whose career path was laid out due to the prowess of his predecessor. Replacing the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni is no mean task and the young wicket-keeper has worked hard to prove his mettle over the last couple of years.
Not only did the 24-year-old cement his place for Team India across all formats despite stifling competition, but he also managed to do so with his unique brand of cricket.
Despite the unorthodox approach, there are still a few things he grasped being under the tutelage of someone like MS Dhoni in the formative years of his career.
While Pant is yet to master the art of chasing and finishing like the former Indian captain, the Delhi-born batter has managed to show his potential with a few glimpses over the years.
On that note, let's reflect on three run-chases where Rishabh Pant was a true student of MS Dhoni.
#1 Rishabh Pant's 125* in the 3rd ODI vs England 2022; Old Trafford, Manchester
The wicket-keeper has not been able to get a grip on the white-ball formats for India as much as he would like to. Inconsistency and atrocious shot selection at times have often let him down at regular intervals.
In the recently concluded ODI series against England, the youngster arguably played a coming-of-age knock to rewrite his stance in 50-over cricket. In the series decider at Old Trafford, Manchester, he led the proceedings in a high pressure run chase with the utmost calmness and maturity.
Maiden ODI hundred for Rishabh Pant, India was 74 for 4 while chasing 260 in the series decider and he scored his maiden ODI hundred. https://t.co/4dJKzzRuj3
Reeling at 38-3 while chasing 260, the Delhi-born batter had to assess the situation and not lose his wicket at any cost. The young batter took his time in the middle with the required rate well within reach. The fact that Hardik Pandya was at the other end also helped things as Pant reached the fifty-run mark off 71 deliveries.
Once the target was in sight, the youngster accelerated and Pandya's dismissal did not deter him as he proceeded to score his maiden ODI century. He went on to score five consecutive boundaries off David Willey before finishing things off in style with a reverse-sweep.
#2 Rishabh Pant's 40* in the 2nd T20I vs New Zealand 2019; Eden Park, Auckland
The former U-19 World Cup member planned the run chase to perfection during the 2nd T20I between India and New Zealand at Eden Park. In a tricky 159-run chase, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan gave the Men in Blue a perfect start with a 79-run stand.
With two wickets falling in quick succession at the halfway mark of the second innings, the onus was on the budding cricketer to lead the chase. The youngster played according to the situation and took his time as he was new to the crease alongside Vijay Shankar.
Scoring 13 off his first 12 deliveries, he fittingly found himself batting alongside MS Dhoni after the fall of the third wicket. However, with the young batter soon finding his groove, Dhoni played second fiddle and allowed this protege to lead the proceedings.
The duo calmly finished the chase in the penultimate over with the swashbuckling player remaining unbeaten on 40 off 28 deliveries.
#3 Rishabh Pant's 53* in DC vs RR 2019; Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Rishabh Pant played an unconventional but highly effective innings against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Delhi Capitals' (DC) final home contest of the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign.
Shortly after Riyan Parag became the youngest player to hit an IPL fifty, the hosts were tasked with a tricky run chase in pursuit of a 116-run target on a worn out surface in Delhi.
IPL 2019, DC vs RR: Rishabh Pant, Amit Mishra guide Delhi to five-wicket win dlvr.it/R43X3M https://t.co/FlwKSj4tGF
The Delhi-born player came into bat with the scorecard reading 28-2 after Ish Sodhi struck twice in quick succession. It took the left-handed batter 10 deliveries to get off the mark. He assessed the conditions well, punished the poor deliveries and anchored the chase.
It is to be noted that the second highest scorer on the sluggish surface was Prithvi Shaw with his quick-fire 16, which is testament to the wicket-keeper batter's exploits.