Rishabh Pant: The true heir to MS Dhoni's throne
In the aftermath of the Nayan Mongia era during the late 1990s, India were looking for a solid wicket-keeper who could also contribute with the bat. The likes of Saba Karim, Sameer Dighe, Vijay Dahiya, Deep Dasgupta, Ajay Ratra and Dinesh Karthik were the myriad glovemen whom India tried in a span of 8 years (from 1997 to 2004).
India were not only looking for a formidable wicket-keeper but also someone who was equally good with the bat. The fact that Rahul Dravid was asked to keep wickets is proof enough that the team management didn't want to compromise a batting slot at the cost of a wicket-keeper.
The MS Dhoni era
India's search for an ideal keeper-batsman ended in the 2004/05 season with the debut of Jharkhand's Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Though Dhoni didn't have the best of starts in the series against Bangladesh, he came into his own in the next series against arch rivals Pakistan. In Vizag, the long-haired dasher, promoted up the batting order, hit a swashbuckling 148 and announced his arrival in style.
Dhoni was hard hitting and extremely powerful with the bat while also performing impressively behind the stumps. His wicket-keeping technique, many termed, was unorthodox but no one was complaining since it was fetching results.
Dhoni settled into the Indian side with strong and consistent performances. His knock of 183 against Sri Lanka in Jaipur in 2005 stamped his authority in the ODI format. India had got its ideal wicket-keeper batsman who was sure to serve the country for long.
Soon, Dhoni was asked to lead a young Indian team in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. India went on to win the tournament by defeating Pakistan in a nail biter at Johannesburg. This was the beginning of Dhoni's legacy as captain.
Over the years, Dhoni has created quite a few landmarks through the course of his career. In 332 ODIs thus far, he has scored 10,173 runs at an astonishing average of 50.11. In 90 Test matches, he hammered 4876 runs with an average of 38.09. In T20Is, he has scored 1487 runs from 93 matches at an average of 37.17.
In Test matches, Dhoni took 256 catches and effected 38 stumpings. In ODIs, he has taken 310 catches and effected 115 stumpings thus far. In T20Is, he has taken 54 catches and effected 33 stumpings.
Promising start for Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant made a mark during the Oval Test
Apart from being a wicket-keeper batsman, Rishabh Pant has one more thing in common to Dhoni. He too can hit huge sixes at will. Pant plays with a clear approach and there have been of plenty of instances wherein his big hitting prowess with the bat have been on display.
Pant's performances in 2018 IPL was remarkable, where he scored the maximum runs for the Delhi Daredevils. After a difficult start in the Test series in England, the left-hander stormed back in the last Test. Along with KL Rahul, he played an extraordinary knock to bring India back into the contest from an almost impossible situation at the Oval.
Having played in the IPL in front of packed crowds and in crunch games, Pant can handle pressure situations with a good sense of judgement.
We all know what Pant is capable of with the bat. The real test awaits him behind the stumps, since he has big boots to fill. Also with Dhoni's pin point accuracy with the Decision Review System, the southpaw will have his task cut out to gain his captain's faith.
With all these skills, one hopes that India have potentially found their true successor to MS Dhoni. Rishabh Pant is the one to watch out for.