Former Indian batter and analyst Wasim Jaffer has advised Indian keeper-batter Rishabh Pant to elevate his game in the ongoing Indian domestic season, adding that Ishan Kishan has taken his game to a higher level.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer stated that at one point it felt like Pant was well ahead of Kishan. However, he reckoned that Kishan has steadily closed that gap lately, adding that the gap is gradually narrowing with Dhruv Jurel also in the mix.
“I would say Ishan Kishan, who has taken his game to a much higher level. At one point, it felt like Rishabh Pant was well ahead of Ishan Kishan. But now, it seems Ishan is steadily closing that gap. So, I feel this season will be very important for Rishabh Pant, whether it is the Ranji Trophy, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy or the IPL. I think he will have to elevate his game. The gap is gradually narrowing, especially with Dhruv Jurel also in the mix,” Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.
Further, the former Indian cricketer asserted that Kishan has emerged as a consistent batter across formats, adding that the very few keeper-batters are ahead of him at the moment.
“Ishan Kishan has become so consistent across formats that, honestly, you don’t see many wicketkeeper-batters ahead of him at the moment. KL Rahul is keeping wickets in ODIs, but Ishan is someone you can also play purely as a batter,” he added.
Additionally, Jaffer showered praise on Pant as the best keeper-batter in Tests at the moment, courtesy of his series-defining and match-winning knocks on several occasions in such a short period.
“You cannot put Rishabh Pant behind the others. He has played series-defining and match-winning innings on several occasions. He has been dismissed in the 90s so many times that I feel he might have scored another 10-15 centuries by now otherwise,” he noted.
“I think Rishabh Pant has been outstanding in such a short career. The kind of innings he has played is something I have rarely seen from anyone. We have obviously seen Adam Gilchrist do it, but after him, I don’t think many players have produced such outstanding innings in such a short period,” he concluded.
