Former Indian cricketer and analyst Wasim Jaffer has asserted that at one point it felt like Rishabh Pant was well ahead of Ishan Kishan. However, he added that the latter has steadily closed that gap.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer advised Pant to elevate his game in the ongoing Indian domestic season, adding that Ishan Kishan has taken his game to a higher level over the last few months.
“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, Jaffer stated that Kishan has emerged as a consistent batter across formats. Additionally, Jaffer hailed Pant as the best keeper-batter in Tests at the moment, thanks to his exceptional performances in the longest format of the game in a short span.
“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.
“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.
