Rishabh Pant's "Revolutionary" Cricket Redefining the Game, Says Greg Chappell

Former India coach Greg Chappell believes Rishabh Pant is transforming the game of cricket with his unconventional batting style. Chappell emphasized Pant's ability to win matches, noting his significant impact during the Headingley Test.

India may have lost the Headingley Test, but Pant's brilliance shone through as he scored centuries in both innings © AFP

Despite India's defeat at Headingley, Pant's exceptional performance included scoring centuries in both innings, highlighting his game-changing potential.

Chappell praised Pant's rapid scoring rate, which provides opportunities to secure victories in cricket matches. He lauded Pant's phenomenal performance, remarking that some of his shots were innovative and not traditionally taught. "He is reinventing the game as a batsman," Chappell stated.

Pant achieved a milestone by becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter, after Andy Flower, to achieve a century in each innings of a Test match.

Chappell commented on the influence of modern technology and advancements in bats, enabling players to execute shots previously deemed impossible. He described Pant as an exciting player to watch, unpredictable from the very first ball, keeping the opposition alert with his dynamic approach, which includes charging fast bowlers and playing innovative ramp shots.

Chappell, widely recognized as one of Australia's greatest batters since Don Bradman, drew comparisons between Pant and Adam Gilchrist, another iconic wicketkeeper.

He acknowledged Pant as an exciting cricketer and a valuable asset to any team, noting similarities to Adam Gilchrist in terms of the impact a wicketkeeper can have by scoring runs quickly.

Shubman Gill's Captaincy Debut

Chappell also shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill's debut as captain, suggesting he demonstrated promising leadership skills and is expected to improve with experience. "It was a terrific Test match. Sadly, India didn't finish up on the correct side, but there were a lot of good things that they did. Shubman Gill had a great start to his career as a Test match captain."

He added, "So he will have learned a lot from that. The Indian think tank will have learned a lot from what happened in the Test match. He will only get better and better as a captain." He highlighted the importance of catching opportunities and tail-end batting contributions, suggesting that a different outcome could have been possible with improvements in these areas.