Team India wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant recently enjoyed a fun axe game along with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Harshit Rana. Pant was last seen in action earlier this week during the first Test against England in Headingley.
He hit centuries (134 & 118) in both innings of the Test, but they ended in vain as England won the match by five wickets and took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Harshit Rana was added to the Indian squad ahead of the first Test but did not get a chance in the playing XI.
The Indian contingent is currently in Birmingham, preparing for the second Test. The Edgbaston Cricket Ground will host the match, which begins on Wednesday, July 2.
Rishabh Pant recently shared a couple of videos and a photo on his official Instagram handle to give fans a glimpse of his time off the field in England. In the post, the 27-year-old could be seen playing a fun axe game with Harshit Rana and having a great time. Pant captioned:
"Real score is determined by laughter and memories.🙂 #RP17 @harshit_rana_06
You can watch the videos below:
"Considering how the IPL went, it won't come immediately"- Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant's chances of making a comeback in Indian ODI and T20I teams
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra recently opined that Rishabh Pant might not get a chance in the T20I and ODI squads, even after displaying wonderful form in Test cricket. He pointed out that there was no space for Pant in the Indian limited-over formats at the moment, considering the depth in the current squads.
In a video on his YouTube channel, 'Aakash Chopra', the cricketer-turned-commentator said:
"How will his number come now? It's difficult. You see Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul in ODI cricket, and then Hardik Pandya comes, and there is no space for him now. Even in T20 cricket, his number will come at some stage, but considering how the IPL went, it won't come immediately. It's a very curious case of Rishabh Pant because the guy rules Test cricket, which is the most difficult format."
The 47-year-old further explained his point of view and continued:
"He is one of the best that the world has ever seen in Tests. He is box office, an entertainer, and interesting. However, he is still lacking somewhere in understanding the DNA of the other formats, and that was evident in this year's IPL as well. He did score a century for sure before leaving, but not the same thing. So his number will come, but just like Shreyas (in Tests), he will have to wait. The fruits of waiting are sweet
Do you think Rishabh Pant should be in the Indian ODI and T20I teams? Let us know your opinions in the comments section.
You can view the schedule of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Test series here.
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