Former India player turned commentator Aakash Chopra has said that India’s wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant should be judged on the runs he scores and not by his mode of dismissal as well. He also stated that a stealth fighter shouldn’t be made to operate like a commercial aircraft as well.
Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant smashed 81 runs off 121 balls as India declared their first innings at 564/8 in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh on Sunday, June 7. The visitors then ended Day 2 at 113/5 in their first innings, trailing the hosts by 451 runs as well.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Chopra said, “Extremely valuable runs. You can say that removing the title (of vice-captain) was a by-product, but giving the title was also a by-product of doing well. You were playing as a player only. What decision did he take as a vice-captain that wasn’t right for the team? He hadn’t done anything wrong in Test cricket. In my opinion, he was penalized unfairly.”
“He would be disappointed. Don’t get out on 81, convert it into 150, because he might be judged next time on how many runs he scored. The problem is not with him entirely. Our understanding is that it’s wrong if someone gets out while playing a shot. Judge him on runs, and not on how he gets out. F-35 is a stealth fighter, don’t make it a commercial plane,” he again said.
However, former India all-rounder Abhishek Nayar also said that Rishabh Pant showed a different facet of his game as well.
“10 out of 10. This was very against his nature. Especially against such an attack, you think Rishabh Pant would bat differently. Rishabh has played what the management wants because his natural instinct is to be aggressive. He has been very patient. You saw a very different side of Rishabh Pant,” he said.
“It also shows you how versatile he is as a player. I believe every player should be true to himself. A player should be accepted in whatever form he is. You demand results from him and not the method. As long as you are getting results, the method does not matter. The method is what the player chooses. That’s the freedom and security a player should get,” he concluded.
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