Sourav Ganguly's Bold Prediction: Rishabh Pant Set to Become an 'All-Time Great' in Test Cricket, Advises Him to 'Up his Game in...'

New Delhi: The return of Rishabh Pant to red-ball cricket has been a major talking point in the ongoing Duleep Trophy as he prepares for his comeback to Test cricket in the upcoming India-Bangladesh series. After recuperating from a car accident in December 2022, Pant is set to make his Test debut when the series kicks off on September 19.

Sourav Ganguly, regarded as one of India’s greatest captains and a former BCCI president, expressed that he is not surprised by Rishabh Pant’s swift return to the Test squad, stating it was expected as soon as Pant became available. “I consider Rishabh Pant one of India’s best Test batsmen. I’m not surprised that he’s back in the side, and he will continue to play for India in Tests,” Ganguly said at a promotional event here.

The car crash in December 2022, before which he brought his career to a screeching halt for over a year, had seen Rishabh Pant emerge as one of the most explosive Test batters around the world. He scored 2,271 runs in 33 Test matches at an average of 43.67, including five centuries and 11 half-centuries. Aggressive as any player in world cricket, Pant boasts a career strike rate of 73.63 and has two hundreds each in England, Australia, and South Africa.

Ganguly works closely with Rishabh Pant at the Delhi Capitals IPL side, with Pant as captain and Ganguly as Director of Cricket and mentor. Ganguly said Pant should concentrate on his effectiveness in limited-overs cricket.

“He will be an all-time great in Tests if he keeps performing like this. For me, he needs to get better in the shorter formats. With the talent he has, I’m sure with time, he will become one of the best,” he said.