3 reasons why Rishabh Pant can still become a white-ball great 

In what came as a shocking development, star Indian team batter Rishabh Pant was met with a car accident earlier on Friday (December 30) near Roorkee in Uttarakhand at around 5:30 am.

An official statement from Uttarakhand Police confirmed that the Delhi cricketer was alone in the car at the time of the accident. He dozed off while driving, after his car hit the divider and caught fire. Pant then broke the windscreen to escape. Fortunately, he is said to be in stable condition now.

The unfortunate incident capped off what has been a tough year for Pant both on and off the field. Earlier this month, Pant was left out of both India's white-ball squads for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.

Despite being a mainstay in the Indian Test setup, Pant hasn't sealed his spot in the Indian T20I and ODI teams. In 2022, Pant scored 364 runs in 25 T20Is, averaging 21.41 at a strike rate of 132.85. In 12 ODIs this year, he has garnered 336 runs, at a decent average of 37 and a strike-rate of 96.55.

Speaking on this matter, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir claimed that Pant must wait for his opportunity in white-ball cricket and focus more on red-ball cricket as of now. While talking to ESPNcricinfo on Thursday (December 29), Gambhir stated:

"Probably, Rishabh will have to wait for his opportunity if he gets that chance in white-ball cricket. At the moment, he should focus on red-ball cricket. We know he’s got the talent, but he has got enough opportunities in white-ball cricket, where he was asked to open the batting or be in the middle-order.

"The management has tried every possible way for him to succeed or given him the platform to be so in white-ball cricket, but unfortunately that didn’t happen.”

Since his international debut in 2017, Pant has been a regular fixture in the Indian team across formats. Though his white-ball returns haven't been as good as they have been in Tests, the 25-year-old still has ample time to cement his place in limited-overs cricket.

On that note, here are three reasons why Rishabh Pant can still become a white-ball great.

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#1 Ability to handle pressure situations

England v India - 3rd Royal London Series One Day International

In his brief international career of five years, Pant has already bailed India out of numerous precarious situations and has showcased that he is a proper team-man.

From his crucial knocks of 97 (in Sydney) and 89* (in Brisbane) at the Border Gavaskar Trophy in 2020-21 to 100 (in Cape Town) in January this year, Pant has proved to be India's rescue man on a number of occasions.

Pant's tally of 203 runs across two innings in the rescheduled fifth Test between India and England in Birmingham was one of the best batting performances of the year.

On the same tour to England, Pant produced the best ODI knock of his career when he clobbered his maiden century in 50-over cricket. In the series-decider in Manchester, India found themselves in dire straits at 72/4 while chasing 260 when Pant came up with a marvelous 113-ball 125* to take India home in a thrilling fashion.

Moreover, most recently, Pant scored a brisk 93 when his side struggled at 94/4 against Bangladesh in the second Test in Dhaka.

The amount of times Pant has displayed the utmost vigor against top-quality bowling attacks and on tricky pitches is incredible. Test cricket is known to be the hardest form of cricket, and if Pant can master it, which he already has, there is no reason why he can't handle the pressure in white-ball cricket.

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#2 He is a multi-skilled left-hander

England v India - 2nd Vitality IT20.

The value of a wicket-keeper who can bat in the top six in modern-day limited-overs cricket is immense. Moreover, keeping on difficult surfaces in and outside Asia has taken Pant's wicket-keeping skills to the next level.

Furthermore, Pant is a left-hander, a trait which is vital for a side, especially in the middle-overs of a white-ball game. Having a left-hander in the mix not only helps a team continue with a left-and-right-hand combination at the crease but also makes the opposition think twice before unleashing a leg-spinner or a left-arm orthodox spinner.

Moreover, if you take a look at some of the best batters in the history of ODI and T20I cricket, you'll observe that most of them have a sound technique facing both pace and spin. Likewise, the Delhi lad has no apparent weakness against either pace or spin, and looks comfortable at the crease most of the time.

Although he has struggled with his foot movement against the quicker bowlers in recent times, once he finds his groove, there is almost no stopping the flamboyant southpaw.

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#3 He is one of a kind player

England v India - 3rd Royal London Series One Day International

There was a reason why Pant was considered the hottest prodigy in world cricket during his early days in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and international cricket. Right from the very start, cricket pundits and fans knew that Pant is a special, if not a generational, talent.

His nature of dominating opposition bowlers despite being under pressure is not an attribute found in many players. From his heroics in the historic Gabba win to reverse-scooping James Anderson for fun, the maverick batter has consistently left the world gobsmacked with his audacity and panache.

If anything, the best years for Pant are still yet to come and it's only a matter of time before he dominates world cricket across formats.