Rishabh Pant marked his return to India’s Test team in style, scoring a brilliant 109 in the second innings against Bangladesh in Chennai. This was his first Test match in nearly two years and his century was one of the most significant takeaways from India’s dominant win.
Rishabh Pant’s return to form after a near-fatal accident has been widely praised. His mental toughness and determination to overcome adversity were evident in his performance. Pakistani cricket legend Wasim Akram was one of the many to applaud Pant, noting the keeper-batter’s revolutionary and fearless approach to batting.
Wasim Akram not only praised Rishabh Pant for his performance and called him superhuman but he also added that he was concerned for the Indian youngster when he met with an accident. The former Pak cricketer said, “Look at Pant’s performance, the miracle that he has performed by showing he is superhuman by returning from his tragedy. The way his accident happened, we were all worried in Pakistan, I was worried and tweeted about him.”
Rishabh Pant was forced to miss several important series during his time away from the sport, including India’s matches against Australia in 2023, England in 2024, and the World Test Championship final in 2023. Despite these setbacks, Rishabh Pant’s comeback has been seen as a major boost for the Indian team.
Wasim Akram highlighted Pant’s bravery and mental strength required to return to top-level cricket after such a challenging period. He emphasized how Pant’s fearless batting style continues to make an impact, even after his long absence.
Wasim Akram said, “The way he used to play in Test cricket, the way he performed in Australia with the century then. The way he batted against England, playing a reverse-sweep against (James Anderson in Test cricket, even (Pat) Cummins. He’s special.”
He further said, “Especially what he has been through in that horrific accident, coming back from that, how mentally strong must that boy be. That’s a story to be told for generations and generations, in my opinion, to motivate young people of the world. You can come back the way Pant did. He came back and averaged 40 in the IPL, 446 runs at a strike rate of 155, he’s a miracle kid.”
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With his successful return, Rishabh Pant is expected to play in the second Test against Bangladesh, scheduled to begin on September 27 in Kanpur. Fans and experts alike will be watching to see if he can continue his impressive form.
