For all the things that a certain Rishabh Pant can do on a cricket field- and he can launch into massive, audacious sixes, dive round all day to claim catches and keep brilliantly, be the chatter house of the team veiled in the guise of a constant cute talker from behind the stumps- entertaining is hardly ever a skill he fails to perform with.
You can almost always expect that for as long as there’ll be Rishabh Pant on the cricket field, you can be entertained and gladly expect a thrilling contest instead of a banal one-sided way (that fails to pack a punch).
But then having said that, what’s also hurting in some way is that there’s not an awful lot that we got to see of Rishabh Pant, especially in Indian colours or when wearing an Indian jersey. As that is where he truly comes into his own, with the tendency of appealing to critics and fans alike!
As a matter of fact, it was quite sad to not see him in the T20 World Cup that was held earlier this year in India. But while Pant’s injury kept him out of the tournament widely described as the pinnacle of Men’s T20 game, Sanju Samson capitalised.
And now, while there’s little signs of Sanju Samson, India’s selection policies being often the conundrum, there’s this renewed focus on Pant.
And he hasn’t disappointed by any count, it ought to be said!
So the big question is this!
Where is Rishabh Pant as of now and what about his recent antics have again made entertaining headlines?
As a matter of fact, as team India prepares for what is a vital 2-match Test tour to Sri Lanka, which happens to be an important component of the current World Test Championship cycle, so too is Rishabh Pant, who was most recently seen in action against the Sri Lanka A side, in an important practice game. But the thing that the daring left hander did in that particular contest is what got the commentators talking and later on, even became the subject of intrigue in a viral social media clip.
During India’s inning where it came to Rishabh Pant to bat, he was up against a Lankan spinner. And that’s when the action happened when the young left arm orthodox spinner came into the attack, and bowled a flighted delivery that landed quite outside the leg side region, instead of letting it go and having nothing to do with it, Pant brought in his right leg and basically shoed the ball away.
What was interesting and perhaps surprising in equal measure here was that Rishabh Pant could have simply let the ball be and have the keeper collect it calmly; the delivery was, as it is, going down the leg side. But he instead chose to bring his feet into play and while that’s completely within the rules of the game to have some footwork in lines with the delivery over and above the use of the bat, the entire sight made way for some kind of spectacle. No words exchanged.
Nothing said. Just same old fun loving Rishabh Pant bringing in his feet to interact with a widish delivery.
At that time, the attacking leftie was unbeaten on 26. India would go on to win the game in the end.