Rishabh Pant Redefining Cricket: Greg Chappell Hails Wicketkeeper-Batter as a "Match-Winner"

Chappell: Rishabh Pant is Revolutionizing Cricket

Greg Chappell believes Rishabh Pant is transforming the game of cricket with his unconventional batting style. The former India coach exclaimed that Pant is a match-winner, highlighting his significant impact during the Headingley Test.

Pant's centuries in both innings at Headingley showcased his brilliance © AFP

Despite India's loss at Headingley, Pant's exceptional performance stood out. He achieved a remarkable feat by scoring centuries in both innings, underscoring his ability to change the course of a game.

Chappell praised Pant's batting, noting that his rapid scoring rate allows teams to win matches. "His was a phenomenal performance. Some of the shots that he played probably weren't in the MCC coaching manual when I last looked at it. He is reinventing the game as a batsman," Chappell said.

Pant etched his name in history by becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter, after Andy Flower, to achieve the distinction of scoring a century in each innings of a Test match.

"You know, modern technology - the bats are very different. Obviously, you can play shots that weren't possible with the old bats. But man, he's exciting to watch. You never quite know what to expect from the first ball at any stage. He's likely to jump down the wicket to the fast bowlers, or he'll play the falling ramp shot. You never quite know what to expect, so it keeps the opposition on their toes," Chappell commented at a promotional event in Mumbai.

Chappell, a celebrated Australian batter, drew comparisons between Pant and Adam Gilchrist, another iconic wicketkeeper.

He emphasized Pant's value to any team: "What an exciting cricketer, what a player to have on your team. When I first saw him, he was a different sort of player, of course, but he reminded me very much of Adam Gilchrist. You know the difference that it can make to a team to have a wicketkeeper that can bat at that level and score runs quickly."

Gill's Captaincy Shows Promise

Chappell also shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill's captaincy debut, suggesting he demonstrated promising leadership qualities and is poised for future growth. "It was a terrific Test match. Sadly, India didn't finish up on the correct side, but there were a lot of good things that they did. Shubman Gill had a great start to his career as a Test match captain."

He added, "So he will have learned a lot from that. The Indian think tank will have learned a lot from what happened in the Test match. He will only get better and better as a captain...but I think he made a very good start as captain."