5 reasons why the West Indies tour could define Rishabh Pant's career
The coveted Indian Premier League has had a history of showcasing young Indian talents on the big stage and it was Rishabh Pant of the Delhi Daredevils who has emerged as a standout in that regards in the last couple of seasons. The left-hander proved to be the best batsman of the side and left the cricketing fraternity in awe of him.
The ease with which he handled the fiery pace bowlers from across the globe was jaw dropping. He could send the ball out of the park at will and with the left-hander’s elegance, it was even more pleasant to watch. Every time he walked off the field after the heroics, the fans were always left wanting for more. And at a tender age of 19, Pant has already earned a huge fan following not just from India but also other cricketing nations.
After he shone in the IPL, there were speculations that he might be slotted in for India’s Champions Trophy squad but that wasn’t to be. But the youngster didn’t have to wait too long as he was selected for the tour to the Windies that followed soon after the ICC event.
The selectors opted to rest Rohit Sharma for the tour that opened the doors for the Delhi-lad. Although he has played for India in a T20I before, he got to face just 3 deliveries in that game of which he scored 5 runs. This tour to the Carribean can be a vital one for his career. The performances there can make or break his future with Indian cricket.
And here are the five reasons why this tour could be a decisive one for Rishabh Pant’s career.
#1 Potential replacement for Dhoni
MS Dhoni has been a great servant for Indian cricket for over a decade and there aren’t too many who have contributed to the side more than him. But as all good things must come to an end some day so shall Dhoni’s presence in the Indian side.
It will be extremely difficult for anyone to fill in his shoes but if there is anyone who has raised hopes, that’s Rishabh Pant. Although he is a completely different player as compared to Dhoni, he has shown signs of the temperament for the big stage.
If Pant gets to play on the side, the team management might ask him to don the gloves to lighten the burden off Dhoni for a while and see how he handles the pressure of international cricket.