India’s wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was recently seen enjoying a fun axe-throwing session with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Harshit Rana. Pant, who was in top form during the first Test against England at Headingley, scored centuries in both innings (134 and 118).
However, despite his brilliant efforts, India lost the match by five wickets, giving England a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Harshit Rana, who was included in the Indian squad ahead of the opening Test, is yet to make his debut in the series.
The Indian team is currently stationed in Birmingham, gearing up for the second Test at Edgbaston, which is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, July 2. Rishabh Pant recently took to his official Instagram account to share a few videos and a photo, offering fans a sneak peek into his off-field activities in England.
In the post, the 27-year-old was seen enjoying an entertaining axe-throwing game with Harshit Rana, clearly having a good time. He captioned the post:
“Real score is determined by laughter and memories.🙂 #RP17 @harshit_rana_06
https://www.instagram.com/p/DLcZBKRz1hu/?igsh=cHNkdm1kdml4ZWV1
“It won’t be immediate after IPL” – Aakash Chopra on Pant’s ODI and T20I return chances
Former India opener Aakash Chopra said Rishabh Pant may still miss out on T20I and ODI selection despite his strong Test form, as there’s currently no space for him in the limited-overs squads. He shared this view on his YouTube channel.
“How will his number come now? It’s difficult. You see Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul in ODI cricket, and then Hardik Pandya comes, and there is no space for him now. Even in T20 cricket, his number will come at some stage, but considering how the IPL went, it won’t come immediately. It’s a very curious case of Rishabh Pant because the guy rules Test cricket, which is the most difficult format.”
The 47-year-old went on to elaborate his perspective and added:
“He is one of the best that the world has ever seen in Tests. He is box office, an entertainer, and interesting. However, he is still lacking somewhere in understanding the DNA of the other formats, and that was evident in this year’s IPL as well. He did score a century for sure before leaving, but not the same thing. So his number will come, but just like Shreyas (in Tests), he will have to wait. The fruits of waiting are sweet.”
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