File photo of Rishabh Pant© X (Twitter)
Rishabh Pant is all set to return to international red-ball cricket after the wicket-keeper batter was included in the Indian cricket team squad for the first Test match against Bangladesh starting September 19. Pant will be making his return after around 20 months as he was sidelined for a long time following the injuries suffered in a car accident in 2022. He was a key member of the Indian cricket team at the T20 World Cup 2024 and he also made his ODI return against Sri Lanka. Pant has now found a fan in WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff.
Bischoff reacted to a comment by a X (formerly Twitter) user commenting on Pant's comeback and wrote - "Discipline and commitment. Deadly combination."
Discipline and commitment. Deadly combination. Good luck @RishabhPant17 ! https://t.co/IW4GcYmCeu
— Eric Bischoff (@EBischoff) September 9, 2024
Earlier. former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes Rishabh Pant is on course to become an all-time great in Test cricket but at the same time, the southpaw needs to raise his game in the shorter formats.
WWE star praising Rishabh Pant , When you're big , You're big
— Dhruv (@I_m_dhruv_) September 10, 2024
"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.
WWE wrestlers knows how hard it is to make a comeback after injuries.
— Reytrance (@Reytrance4) September 10, 2024
"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."
Indian selectors have opted to give Mohammed Shami more time to recover from an ankle surgery and have named uncapped left-arm pacers Yash Dayal and Akash Deep in the squad. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are the two frontline pacers.
"I know Mohammed Shami is missing because of injury, but he will be back very soon since India is going to Australia. It's still a very good attack," Ganguly said.
"In India, you will see a lot more spin. In Chennai, you will see a lot more bounce. Ashwin, Jadeja, Axar, and Kuldeep are the four best spinners in the world at the moment -- it won't be easy. When you play in India, spinners have a lot more say in the game. But India are a very good team."
(With PTI inputs)