'Pant and MS Dhoni remind me of me' - Indian legend heaps praise on wicketkeeper batters
MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant have truly been the pathbreaker with their approach and intent in red-ball cricket. Both have been so aggressive while batting in Tests and always look to take on the bowlers to put them under pressure - something praised by numerous experts and fans around the globe.
Pant, especially, has been among the most exciting batters to watch in Test cricket, for his style has been so unique and effective. Pant has played numerous iconic knocks for India in arduous conditions away from home to bail his team out of troubled waters or take them over the line.
Apart from his knock in Gabba, Pant has also played a few unbelievable innings, even in the challenging conditions in England and South Africa. The common thing among all his innings was intent and ability to hit boundaries consistently, to disrupt the lengths of the bowlers and ask them to bowl according to him.
Similarly, MS Dhoni was known for his panache and attacking style across formats. Both Pant and Dhoni have set a new benchmark for budding wicketkeeper batters. While Bazball is popular now, these two have been playing intent cricket well before England started.
Farokh Engineer finds his shades in MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant
Former Indian wicketkeeper batter Farokh Engineer spoke to the reporters during a function at Bombay Gymkhana. Engineer said that he is not sure whether Rishabh Pant will be able to keep again, but he can play solely as a batter.
“(I was) so sad to hear about Rishabh's accident. I'm glad, and I hope that he's recovered now. I'm not sure (that) he'll be able to keep wickets because you lose your sharpness, the sixth sense. However, his batting is so good - he can be a match-winner for India with the bat. He has so much confidence as a batsman. Like me, he thinks that spinners shouldn't exist and looks to attack them all the time.”
Farokh later praised MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant for their approach and said that they remind him of his playing days. Engineer was among the most explosive batters of his time.
"I hope I am wrong because Rishabh is a lovely guy. I hope he is able to keep wickets again. He is a hugely talented cricketer. And I really hope we see him back on the pitch because I love Rishabh. I love his approach. He and MS Dhoni remind me of me in terms of approach to the game."
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