[Watch] Rishabh Pant plays with a little kid in Adelaide after BGT 2024-25 2nd Test
Team India's star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was seen unwinding in Adelaide after the recently completed second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series. The 27-year-old was seen playing with a little kid at a mall.
The video of the incident was shared by one of Pant's fan clubs on the microblogging platform X. The kid seemed to enjoy the star cricketer's company as the two shared a good laugh. You can watch the clip below:
Team India kicked off the five-match Test series with a comprehensive 295-run victory in Perth. The hosts bounced back by securing a 10-wicket win against Rohit Sharma and company in the subsequent encounter in Adelaide.
Pant registered scores of 21 and 28 in the second Test. The southpaw has scored 87 runs across four innings at an average of 21.75 so far in the series.
"When you have a cushion like the IPL, like the contract system, you can play this way" - Sunil Gavaskar on Rishabh Pant's fearless batting approach
Rishabh Pant showed no signs of nervousness when he walked out to bat in India's second innings. While the visitors were reeling at 66-3, the left-handed batter surprised everyone by stepping out of his crease and smashing a four off Scott Boland's bowling on his very first ball.
The dynamic batter targetted Boland, even hitting an audacious reverse scoop for four during his stay at the crease. Speaking about Pant's approach, India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar opined that the stumper can play freely because there is no fear of losing his place in the national team.
He pointed out that the cricketers now aren't afraid of being dropped because they have the Indian Premier League (IPL) to rely on. Speaking to Star Sports, the cricketer-turned-commentator said (via Hindustan Times):
"Very entertaining; no question about it. But you mustn’t forget, in the old days, there was no alternative to Test cricket; if you didn’t play Test cricket, you went back to Ranji Trophy, you went back to club cricket, and that was it. When you have a cushion like the IPL, like the contract system, you can play this way. So what if you get dropped from the Indian team? You have the IPL."
Rishabh Pant created history at the IPL 2025 auction last month. He was sold to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a whopping ₹27 crore, making him the most expensive player in the league's history.