“You don’t have a Rohit or Virat” - Former India wicketkeeper’s huge statement ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Former Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More believes Rishabh Pant will have extra responsibility on his shoulders with the recent retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the upcoming England series. Team India will play five Tests against Ben Stokes' England, starting at Leeds on June 20.

The legendary duo of Kohli and Rohit shocked the entire cricketing world by announcing their Test retirements last month. It means Pant will now be one of the most senior batters in the Test lineup, along with KL Rahul.

Talking about Pant's importance in the upcoming England series, More said (via Hindustan Times):

"Failure in an odd series doesn’t make you a bad cricketer. Pant hasn’t had a good season but he is a guy who can change things anytime because of the way he bats. He is very positive, his intent is always to score runs. That is what I like about him. I feel he should bat the way he does, (but) sensibly. There’s extra responsibility on him. You don’t have a Rohit or Virat you can fall back on."

More added:

"He has a fantastic record on away tours. He has scored a lot of runs in England, Australia, South Africa, everywhere he has got hundreds. He bats at the crucial No.5 spot where he will face the second new ball. That experience he should put together and try to score runs."

Pant has been arguably India's most impactful Test batter in the last five years. However, he endured a poor Australian tour at the end of last year, averaging only 28.33 in five Tests with a lone half-century.

"From behind the stumps you have a clear idea" - Farokh Engineer on Rishabh Pant's importance for Team India

Another former Indian wicketkeeper, Farokh Engineer, believes Rishabh Pant's role behind the stumps in helping skipper Shubman Gill make bowling and fielding changes will be crucial in the upcoming England series. The 27-year-old was appointed India's vice-captain ahead of the five Tests in England.

Pant is vastly experienced in the Test format, having played 43 matches since his debut in 2018.

Pant’s role will be very important… When Ajit Wadekar and Tiger Pataudi were captains, they never made a move without speaking to me because we had a very good rapport. Our eyes had to meet, when there was a bowling or fielding change because from behind the stumps you have a clear idea what the bowler is doing, what the batter’s strengths and weaknesses are, what the pitch is doing," said Engineer (via the aforementioned source).

Despite his stellar overall Test average of over 42, Pant's record in England is underwhelming, with an average of only 32.70 in nine outings.