‘Kishan closing the gap’: Ex-India cricketer warns Pant to raise his game

KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, and Rishabh Pant

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has warned Rishabh Pant that he needs to improve his performances to stay ahead of the competition for a place in the Indian Test team.Jaffer believes Ishan Kishan has improved significantly and is now closing the gap on Pant, while Dhruv Jurel is also competing for a spot.Pant has continued to play as India’s wicketkeeper in Test cricket, with Jurel featuring as a specialist batter in recent matches.

However, Pant’s place in the national setup has come under discussion after he was dropped from the ODI and T20I teams and lost his vice-captaincy earlier this year.

Ishan Kishan emerges as strong competition

Jaffer said Kishan’s consistent performances across formats have made him a serious contender. He added that Pant needs to make the most of the upcoming domestic and IPL seasons to strengthen his position.“I would say Ishan Kishan, who has taken his game to a much higher level. At one point, it felt like Rishabh Pant was well ahead of Ishan Kishan. But now, it seems Ishan is steadily closing that gap. So, I feel this season will be very important for Rishabh Pant, whether it is the Ranji Trophy, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy or the IPL. I think he will have to elevate his game. The gap is gradually narrowing, especially with Dhruv Jurel also in the mix.

“Ishan Kishan has become so consistent across formats that, honestly, you don't see many wicketkeeper-batters ahead of him at the moment. KL Rahul is keeping wickets in ODIs, but Ishan is someone you can also play purely as a batter," Jaffer said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Jaffer backs Pant’s match-winning ability

Despite highlighting the growing competition, Jaffer praised Pant’s impact in international cricket. He compared the wicketkeeper-batter’s ability to deliver crucial innings to that of former Australia star Adam Gilchrist and said Pant could have scored many more centuries."You cannot put Rishabh Pant behind the others. He has played series-defining and match-winning innings on several occasions. He has been dismissed in the 90s so many times that I feel he might have scored another 10-15 centuries by now otherwise.“I think Rishabh Pant has been outstanding in such a short career. The kind of innings he has played is something I have rarely seen from anyone. We have obviously seen Adam Gilchrist do it, but after him, I don't think many players have produced such outstanding innings in such a short period," Jaffer added.Jaffer’s message was clear: Pant has an impressive record, but he must raise his game as competition for India’s wicketkeeper-batter position increases.