Sourav Ganguly's Bold Prediction for Rishabh Pant and Expectations: 'Needs Improvement in...'

Sourav Ganguly, often regarded as one of the finest captains in Indian cricket history and former BCCI president, expressed his lack of surprise at Rishabh Pant's swift return to the Test team. Ganguly stated, "I firmly believe that Rishabh Pant is one of the top Test batsmen for India. It is no shock to me that he has been included in the squad again, and I am confident that he will play a significant role for India in Test matches moving forward," while speaking at a promotional event.

Before the car crash in December 2022 that temporarily froze his career for over a year, Pant had come to be recognised as one of the most destructive Test batters in the world. He has scored 2271 in 33 Test matches with five centuries and 11 half-centuries at an average of 43.67. Pant was also known for his aggression and has a career strike rate of 73.63. He has two centuries in England and a century each in Australia and South Africa.

Ganguly also works closely with Pant in the IPL side Delhi Capitals. Pant is captain of the team while Ganguly is Director of Cricket and mentor. He pointed out that Pant needs to work on his effectiveness in limited overs cricket.

“He will be an all-time great in Tests if he keeps performing like this. For me, he needs to get better in the shorter formats. With the talent he has, I'm sure with time, he will become one of the best,” he said.