"We will continue to miss him until he comes back"- Navdeep Saini on Rishabh Pant's absence

Indian pacer Navdeep Saini believes that Team India will continue to miss the services of Rishabh Pant due to the latter's incredible match-winning ability.

The southpaw suffered a horrible car accident in December last year and has been on the road to recovery since.

Saini further spoke about how crucial Pant has been for the Indian Test team and how he has been able to turn a game on its head almost single-handedly.

In an exclusive chat with TOI, here's what Navdeep Saini had to say about Rishabh Pant:

"We all know how talented Pant is. We know his capabilities and calibre. He is a match-winner. He can change the course of the match at any time. We all know he has won a lot of matches for the team. Yes, we miss him. We all miss him, and we will continue to miss him until he comes back because he has great ability."

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Navdeep Saini on winning moment at the Gabba

Rishabh Pant's sensational 89* at the Gabba is still hailed as one of the all-time great knocks played by an Indian in Test history. Navdeep Saini was present at the non-striker end when Pan hit the winning runs and the pacer recalled how he celebrated India's series win despite being injured.

On this, Saini stated:

"I will remember that moment forever. It was the best moment of my cricketing career. It was an amazing match. I was injured and in pain. When Pant hit the winning four off Josh Hazlewood, I was limping and it was raining. The moment the ball touched the boundary, I jumped up and down and started celebrating. I ran without caring about the injury. I forgot the pain while celebrating (laughs). It was an incredible atmosphere."

Rishabh Pant continues to post updates about his recovery and is probably in a race against time to get fit for the ODI World Cup in October this year.

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