Nitish Rana recalls how Rishabh Pant encountered a rough patch

The last few months have been nothing short of a fairy tale for Rishabh Pant as the southpaw played one magnificent knock after another and made the cricket world hail him. Owing to his spectacular show over the 22 yards, many fans and experts have been comparing the dasher with former Indian captain MS Dhoni. Even though Dhoni has retired from international cricket, parallels between him and Pant are still drawn.

With the Chennai Super Kings skipper being arguably the finest wicketkeeper-batsman ever, his comparison to Pant speaks volumes of the southpaw’s prowess. However, Pant isn’t amused with these comparisons, as revealed by Nitish Rana. The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman stated that Pant gets agitated when people compare him to Dhoni as the youngster feels he is nowhere near the two-time World Cup-winning captain.

Nitish Rana reveals Rishabh Pant’s admiration for MS Dhoni

“He admires Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) a lot, to the extent that he sometimes says: ‘If there’s someone I want to see while awake and sleeping it will be Mahi bhai.’ He has even said to me, ‘Why are people comparing me with Mahi bhai, I am not worthy of comparison,’ and while folding his hands, ‘Stop comparing me with Mahi bhai, take my bat and everything else,” Rana told India TV Cricket.

Notably, Pant endured a rough patch after the 2019 World Cup, and he was also criticized for the same. The southpaw was even dropped from the national team for his inconsistent show. However, he roared back during the Test series against Australia earlier this year and played one sensational knock after another. Recalling Pant’s poor form, Rana revealed that the southpaw hadn’t lost his self-belief even after getting dropped.

“His strength is his self-belief. He never leaves that self-belief wherever he goes and whatever format he plays. I remember there was a time when people started criticizing him, but he used to tell me: ‘I am just one big innings away, the day I play that knock, everyone will go silent, and I believe I am going to play that innings very soon,” recalls Rana.

Meanwhile, Pant is currently gearing up for the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand, which gets underway on June 18 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. The wicketkeeper-batsman is expected to play another match-winning knock and take India to the title.