To Sanju fans; Rishabh Pant is not his opponent, he is miles ahead
Sanju often misses out on his rightful place in the Indian cricket team. It is true that the team has not got the opportunities of his talent. A specialist batsman in Twenty20 cricket, Sanju can do wonders for the team.
There are many people who are clamoring for not taking him in the team. It is a matter of happiness that Malayalis are not the only ones raising that cry. There were many former stars who supported Sanju. Everyone believes that Sanju will be able to perform well in the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in Australia later this year.
But what many of his supporters are saying is that Sanju didn’t get a chance because of Rishabh Pant. Their argument is that Sanju can make an impact more than Rishabh Pant. But is that the truth? There is no doubt that Sanju is a talented player and will make an impact in the team. But Rishabh Pant is that kind of player.
Like Sanju, Pant is a star who caught the world’s attention at a very young age. The ball was a handful above Sanju at domestic levels where both played. Especially in domestic level Test cricket.
In the very first Ranji match in 2015, Pant faced Ranji legends Ashok Dinday and Pragyan Ojya in the lightness of facing mere street cricket bowlers. Later, the player performed well in the U-19 World Cup and in his first IPL season in 2016. Pant scored 198 runs at a strike rate of 130 in 10 matches in the first season. He also scored a half-century.
But Pant announced his arrival in the following season. In 2017, the player scored 366 runs in 165 strikes for Delhi. His 97 runs against Gujarat was the innings that grabbed a lot of attention that day. In the 2018 season, Pant scored 684 runs in 173 strikes and proved who he is and what he can do. This was also Pant’s best IPL season.
No one can forget the innings in which Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the swing king of the Indian team, was removed. So far in his IPL career, he has scored 2838 runs from 98 matches. His strike rate is 147.
Sanju made his debut in 2013 IPL and scored 3526 runs in 134 innings. The star’s strike rate is 135. In IPL strike rate or batting average will be far ahead. Also, the fact that the ball is left-handed gives him a bit of an advantage.
If you compare both of them in first class cricket too, Ball is way ahead. It is an unmistakable fact that he has not performed as well as Sanju’s talent in first-class cricket. And at what point do Sanju fans feel Pant doesn’t deserve a place in the Indian team?
One of the criticisms leveled at Ball who has been the Indian team’s best wicket-keeper-batsman in Tests is that he has not performed well in Twenty20s. So there are those who argue that he should be removed from the team.
Their argument is that the ball should be played only in Tests. What’s wrong with giving a back-up in Twenty20 to a ball that has proven its mettle in cricket’s toughest format? Actually M.S. A century outside Asia, which was only a dream even for Dhoni, has been scored five times in this 24-year-old.
Now he has welcomed in ODIs as well. It was Rishabh Pant who led the Indian team to victory by scoring 125 runs in the series-deciding match against England. His mentality is specially prepared for tough situations like this. Can any Indian fan forget the historic Gabba win?
There is a saying ‘When going gets tough, Tough gets going’ and that phrase can be used to describe Rishabh Pant’s career so far. When the going gets tough, he can bring the team back into the game by counter-attacking from either end when the wickets fall and mentally wear down the opposition. That is what makes him a champion player. The next superstar of the Indian team!
It is true that the Indian team is chasing Sanju. The lobby game in cricket is as true as day. But Rishabh Pant is not responsible for that, he is as talented as Sanju, maybe more than Sanju. If both of them play together in the Indian team, it will be a beautiful sight. Let’s hope that it will be possible soon.
Content Highlights: Writeup about Rishab Pant and Sanju Samson