Former Indian batter and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has heaped praise on the Indian keeper-batter Rishabh Pant for his ability to pull off extraordinary shots in the longest format of the game.
Speaking exclusively on Sony Sports Network, Manjrekar termed the keeper-batter a genius. Notably, Pant emerged as the first Indian keeper-batter to surpass the 2500-run mark in Tests away from home during his 63-run knock on the second day of the ongoing second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
“When he ran down the track and saw that he was beaten, he could still drag himself in even before the ball had arrived. He is a very interestingly built cricketer, where he seems a little heavy-set but extremely supple and flexible, and almost elastic. That’s why he could do that. And when he took blows on his body, it was not an indication of weakness. He’s not flinching or wary of the short-ball. It’s that he sees the ball early, and that’s what makes him a genius,” said Manjrekar on Sony Sports Network.
“He can play any way he wants, be it attacking or defending or leaving the ball. But he is in his own head, and the territory he bats in is an area where he has a lot of fun. It is playschool for him, so his objective is to get runs, but he does it in a way that’s fun, and he’s enjoying himself. His sole focus is to connect the ball properly, so when he wants to hit the ball, he wants to muscle it. But how he does it and what happens after that, he doesn’t care about,” he added.
It’s important to note that Pant is now India’s all-time leading run-scorer in the World Test Championship (WTC) history with a total of 2,948 runs at an average of over 42.11.
