'Impulsive' Rishabh Pant is a great talent getting wasted: Kirti Azad
Former Indian cricketer Kirti Azad gave his view on the criticism surrounding Rishabh Pant and stated that the Delhi-born batsman could improve a lot if he learns the art of staying calm.
In a live chat with Shanivi Sadana on Sportskeeda Cricket's Facebook page, Kirti Azad spoke about the top two wicket-keeper batsmen of the country right now. He discussed how Rishabh Pant could enhance his skills as a batsman, whereas the 61-year-old gave his opinion on the future of MS Dhoni.
Rishabh Pant needs to learn to stay at the wicket: Kirti Azad
Rishabh Pant grabbed everyone's attention with his big-hitting skills in the IPL. He was the leading run-scorer for Delhi Daredevils in 2018, amassing 684 runs in just 14 games at a strike rate of 173.60.
Later that year, he made his Test and ODI debut for the Indian cricket team. Rishabh Pant also played in the Cricket World Cup 2019 as a replacement for the injured Shikhar Dhawan. Unfortunately, his performance in the longer formats has not been up to the mark of late, which has led to questions being raised over his spot in the team.
When asked about the dip in Rishabh Pant's form, Kirti Azad replied:
"He is very impulsive. I think he can turn out to be a very good batsman than keeper. And, if he keeps his head cool, the question is that he wants to hit every ball, you are not playing T20 cricket when you are playing a 50-overs game or a Test match."
"You have to learn to stay at the wicket. If you stay at the wicket, the runs are going to come to you. Some good ball takes your wicket, I can understand, but if you hit a big shot and get out, which has happened most of the times as far as Rishabh Pant is concerned, I feel sorry because he is a great talent getting wasted," he continued.
Kirti Azad also talked about the future of MS Dhoni in international cricket. The 2011 World Cup-winning captain has not played a competitive match since the 2019 World Cup semi-final. Speculation is rife that he might hang up his boots soon.
Azad expressed his opinion on this matter as follows:
"I don't know, maybe he wants to play the IPL, but even if he announces his retirement, he can still play in the IPL. If he wants to play for the country, I hope he is keeping himself fit."
Ultimately, Azad saluted Dhoni for his service to the country. He lauded him for his achievements as the Indian cricket team captain and said that he is no one to comment on Dhoni's retirement.