Ever since Rishabh Pant bursts on to the scene, he has drawn comparisons with the legend MS Dhoni. Amid his struggle in the ongoing IPL 2020, former India opener Gautam Gambhir has urged the fans to stop comparisons saying Pant can never be Dhoni.
Once a part of the Indian team in all the three formats and seen as the successor to Dhoni, Pant has struggled to live up the hype. He was recently left out the limited-overs squad for the tour of Australia. His poor campaign in UAE has not aided well for wicket-keeper from Delhi.
Rishabh Pant vs MS Dhoni comparisons should stop – Gautam Gambhir
Rishabh Pant has amassed only 285 runs from 12 outings at a strike rate of 109.61 – quite below to his reputation. In the wake of it, Gautam Gambhir has asked for the Dhoni vs Pant comparisons to be put to an end. The cricketer-turned-politician feels the tag is too heavy for Pant and he needs to try and be a better version of himself.
“You have to stop comparing Rishabh Pant that he is an alternative to MS Dhoni. That is one thing which first media needs to do it. Because the more media talks about it, the more he starts thinking on that front. He can never be MS Dhoni. He has to be Rishabh Pant. And, at the same time, MS Dhoni had so much of range when he came on the scene. And, Rishabh Pant, just because he can hit sixes, people started comparing him with MS Dhoni,” Gambhir told ESPNCricinfo.
Also Read: Here’s How Rishabh Pant Can Be a Part of India’s Limited-Overs Squad in Australia
Furthermore, Gautam Gambhir advised Rishabh Pant to work on his wicket-keeping skills which have been extremely poor in the cash-rich league. With the bowlers turning smarter, Gambhir stated that Pant has looked ordinary.
”Rishabh Pant has a lot to improve, especially from the keeping point of view, but from the batting point as well. I hope he scores important runs today. But then if I see, the bowlers have got smarter, they have started bowling wider outside the off-stump and he has struggled. That’s the reason, first and foremost, people around him and in the media need to stop comparing him with MS Dhoni” he added.
