I just want Rishabh Pant to be the best batsman for his calibre: Suresh Raina
Chennai Super Kings' all-rounder Suresh Raina heaped praises on the upcoming Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant, labeling him a 'top' guy. Raina has been training with Pant of late, and the Delhi Capitals star even mentioned that training with the 2011 World Cup-winning player helped him a lot.
Sports presenter Rupha Ramani caught up with the duo of Suresh Raina and Rishabh Pant in Ghaziabad for an exclusive IGTV video for Chennai Super Kings. Raina spoke about his training sessions with Pant as the two IPL stars geared up for the upcoming season of the cash-rich league.
I want Rishabh Pant to be who he is: Suresh Raina
After the Indian government relaxed the strict lockdown rules, several star players of the Indian cricket team, namely Cheteshwar Pujara, Suresh Raina, Rishabh Pant, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, and Mohammad Shami have begun outdoor training using the facilities available in their hometown.
Pant has been training with Raina, and when asked about his experience, the 22-year-old replied:
"It's been a good experience because with him (Raina) you can learn a lot of things. He is a left-handed batsman. You have got that brotherhood. He teaches me a lot of things, on and off the field situations. We discuss a lot of things and it's helping me."
Rishabh Pant has quickly become one of the top wicketkeper-batsmen of the country. He has played 13 Tests, 16 ODIs, and 27 T20Is for the Indian cricket team.
The left-handed batsman even represented the nation in the 2019 Cricket World Cup last year. Unfortunately, his performance has dipped over the last few months as he has lost his wicket while trying a big shot on a few occasions. Former Indian cricket team player Kirti Azad recently opined that Rishabh Pant was a great talent 'getting wasted.'
Suresh Raina is a veteran player, who has even captained the Indian cricket team in the past. He felt that Pant would learn from his mistakes as the Chennai Super Kings star described his training experience with the youngster as follows:
"He is a top guy. I want him to be who he is. I just want him to be the best batsman for his calibre."
Both Suresh Raina and Rishabh Pant will be keen to perform well in IPL 2020 and bolster their chances of making it to the Indian squad for the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup. The recent reports have hinted that IPL could happen in the UAE this year, but BCCI has not made an official announcement yet.