‘Ishan Kishan closes the gap’: Former India cricketer warns Rishabh Pant to raise his game

KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant Former India spinner Wasim Jaffer has warned Rishabh Pant that he needs to improve his performances to stay ahead of the competition for a place in the Indian Test team.Jaffer believes Ishan Kishan has improved significantly and is now closing the gap on Pant, while Dhruv Jurel is also competing for a spot.Pant continued to play as India’s wicketkeeper in Test cricket, with Jurel appearing as a specialist batsman in recent matches.However, Pant’s place in the national squad came under debate after he was dropped from the ODI and T20I squads and lost his captaincy earlier this year.

Ishan Kishan is proving to be a strong competition

Jaffer said Kishan’s consistent performances across formats made him a serious contender. He added that Pant needs to make the most of the upcoming domestic and IPL season to strengthen his position.“I would say Ishan Kishan, who has taken his game to a much higher level. At one point, Rishabh Pant seemed to be way ahead of Ishan Kishan. But now Ishan seems to be closing the gap all the time. So I feel this season is going to be very important for Rishabh Pant, whether it’s the Ranji Trophy, Sye Mushtaq, his match with Ali, or his gap with Syed Mushtaq Helevaq Ali is gradually narrowing, especially with Dhruv Jurel also in the mix.“Ishan Kishan has become so consistent across formats that honestly, you don’t see many wicketkeeper-batters in front of him at the moment. KL Rahul keeps wickets in ODIs, but Ishan is someone you can play purely as a batsman as well,” Jaffer said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Jaffer backs Pant’s ability to win matches

Despite highlighting the growing competition, Jaffer praised Pant’s impact in international cricket. He compared the wicketkeeper-palter’s ability to deliver crucial innings to that of former Australian star Adam Gilchrist and said Pant could have scored many more centuries.“You can’t put Rishabh Pant behind others. He played series-defining and match-winning innings on several occasions. He was dismissed so many times in the 1990s that I feel he could have scored another 10-15 centuries otherwise.”“I think Rishabh Pant has been outstanding in such a short career. The kind of innings he’s played is something I’ve rarely seen from anybody. We’ve obviously seen it with Adam Gilchrist, but after him I don’t think many players have produced such an outstanding innings in such a short time,” Jaffer added.Jaffer’s message was clear: Pant has an impressive record but needs to raise his game as competition in India’s wicketkeeper-batter grows.