Former New Zealand cricketer Ian Smith spoke about Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant’s comparison with MS Dhoni. He said that the left-hander has a big challenge to fulfill and also mentioned that the wicketkeeper-batsman is not the best wicket-keeper either.

Rishabh Pant has been one of the finest batsmen and wicketkeepers in cricket over the last few years. The left-hander has made a huge contribution to the Indian national cricket team, especially in the longer format of the game.

One of the main reasons why India have won Tests in overseas conditions has been Pant. The wicketkeeper-batsman has often bailed the team out of trouble with his sensational performances and is the backbone of the team. He has hit hundreds in Australia, South Africa and England, which speaks volumes about his calibre.

In the recent Test match against Bangladesh, which was also his comeback to Test cricket, Pant also scored a vital century. Since then, he has been compared to MS Dhoni, with many touting him as even better than the former India captain. Dhoni has been an incredible servant to the team and his contribution to Indian cricket has been immense.

Speaking about this, Ian Smith said that he likes Rishabh Pant as a cricketer but made a bold observation that it is difficult to surpass MS Dhoni. He underlined how players gain prominence in India after their performance. In an interview with talkSPORT cricket, he explained:

“I like Pant as a cricketer. It’s an extremely important role and he has a huge shoes to fill because, to be honest, they’ve had a revolving door since Dhoni. You talk about the hero factor; it’s quite difficult to get past MS.

“But once you reach a certain stage in Indian cricket and start playing at the international level, your life changes dramatically. You become a superstar who surpasses most sportsmen.”

Probably not the best glove the world has ever seen – Ian Smith on Rishabh Pant

Ian Smith further mentioned that Rishabh Pant is a fighter and highlighted that he does not shy away from challenges. He also mentioned that Pant is a work in progress in wicketkeeping before correlating him with Adam Gilchrist. He mentioned:

“Rishabh Pant… I like him because he has that attitude. He’s not going to run away from a fight. If you ask him to open it, he’ll open it. If you ask him to bat at No. 5, he’ll do it.

“He’s probably not the best gloveman the world has ever seen, but he’s working on it, getting better. And that’s effective because he spends a lot of the day standing near the stumps. For me that’s a fact. He’s like Gilchrist in that sense. I hold him in very high regard,” he concluded.

Pant will next be seen in action when India take on Bangladesh in the second Test of the series, which begins on September 27.