Rishabh Pant's Revolutionary Batting Style is Reinventing Cricket: Greg Chappell's Bold Claim

Former India coach Greg Chappell has lauded Rishabh Pant for his revolutionary approach to batting, claiming he is transforming the game. Chappell emphasized Pant's match-winning capabilities.

Rishabh Pant's spectacular centuries in both innings at Headingley © AFP

Despite India's defeat in the Headingley Test, Pant's remarkable performance, including centuries in both innings, underscored his ability to change the course of a game.

Chappell highlighted the rapid scoring rate enabled by Pant's batting style, providing teams with a crucial advantage to secure victories. He celebrated Pant's phenomenal performance, noting that his innovative shot selection defies conventional coaching manuals, effectively "reinventing the game as a batsman."

Pant recently achieved a milestone by becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter, after Andy Flower, to score a century in each innings of a Test match.

Chappell acknowledged the impact of modern technology and advancements in bat design, which facilitate shots previously deemed impossible. However, he emphasized Pant's unique excitement, praising his unpredictability and ability to keep the opposition on edge.

Drawing comparisons to another iconic wicketkeeper, Adam Gilchrist, Chappell, widely considered one of Australia's finest batters post-Don Bradman, underscored Pant's value to any team.

He stated, "What an exciting cricketer, what a player to have on your team. When I first saw him, he was a different sort of player, of course, but he reminded me very much of Adam Gilchrist. You know the difference that it can make to a team to have a wicketkeeper that can bat at that level and score runs quickly."

Gill's Promising Captaincy Debut

Chappell also commented on Shubman Gill's performance as captain, suggesting he demonstrated promise and is poised for further improvement. He acknowledged India's loss but highlighted the positives, emphasizing that Gill's captaincy debut was promising.