"Pant's comeback is quite far away" - Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant's batting videos
Aakash Chopra believes Rishabh Pant won't be seen playing competitive cricket anytime soon despite being seen wielding a willow in a recent video.
Pant suffered serious injuries in a horrendous car accident late last year. He is recuperating from surgery on his torn ligaments, with no clarity yet about his return to competitive cricket.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that Pant spending time in the middle does not imply that his return is around the corner. He stated:
"Rishabh Pant had posted a video where Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul were seen batting after a long time. Now his videos have come from which it seems he is coming back. He has started batting against the bowling machine. He has started playing against 140 kph but Pant's comeback is quite far away as of now."
The former Indian opener is in awe of Pant's MS Dhoni-like fitness and strength. He observed:
"The good thing is that the guy is extremely strong. This mountain boy has a lot of strength in his body. This was the case with MS Dhoni as well. Rishabh Pant is in the same category. He is so fit, the genes are good."
Chopra reckons the youngster didn't have to undergo a second surgery because of those attributes. However, he added that he might still take some time before he makes a comeback, highlighting the strenuous workload of a wicketkeeper-batter.
"Good scenes are coming and we get happy in that itself" - Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant
Aakash Chopra acknowledged that Rishabh Pant's batting videos would have delighted his fans. He said:
"The conservative guess was that he might get fit by the next IPL or the next (T20) World Cup. Let's see, fingers crossed. Good scenes are coming and we get happy in that itself, that the boy has started moving and playing at least."
The renowned commentator concluded by observing that even Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul will have to prove their form and fitness in the upcoming Asia Cup to be in contention for a spot in India's World Cup squad. He elaborated:
"Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul were also in the NCA alongside Rishabh Pant. Both have started batting. It's slightly a race against time. Their names need to be there in the Asia Cup. If they play and do well there, the story will be created for the World Cup, or else Rohit (Sharma) gave a hint that India might have to look elsewhere."
It will be interesting to see if Shreyas and Rahul will be picked in India's Asia Cup squad. The duo's absence has considerably weakened the Men in Blue's middle order, and Rohit Sharma and Co. might have to play some batters out of position to get the requisite balance if they continue to be unavailable.