Ian Smith Compares Rishabh Pant to Adam Gilchrist, Praises Versatility

Former New Zealand cricketer Ian Smith has high praise for Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, comparing him to Australian legend Adam Gilchrist. Smith believes that Pant has the potential to match Gilchrist's achievements if he maintains his current form.

Pant has impressed Smith with his performances since returning from a car accident earlier this year. He has been in excellent form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the ongoing T20 World Cup.

"Rishabh Pant since his accident has come back very strong and he looks in terrific form. He is dynamic. He's aggressive, he's dangerous," Smith said.

Like Gilchrist, Pant has shown his versatility by batting in various positions across different formats. Smith believes this makes him a valuable asset in white-ball cricket.

"He can compliment who's with him, whether he comes in to support Kohli or whether he comes in to support... Rohit Sharma, so three is a good spot for him because I firmly believe that in white-ball cricket your best players should have the opportunity to face the most deliveries. And so that's what makes him valuable."

"He can hit the first ball he faces out of the ground and he's got other bailout options as well if it doesn't work out that way. I mean, you know, he's replaced a very good player in KL Rahul. KL Rahul is a world-class cricketer. That says it all for me," Smith added.

Pant, 26, is seen as a similar type of cricketer to Gilchrist, who could bat down the order in Test cricket and up the order in white-ball formats. However, Smith cautions that Pant still has a long way to go to reach Gilchrist's records, who scored over 15,000 runs in international cricket and took over 800 catches behind the stumps.

"Ah yeah, well, he's got a bit to go. But yes, similar type of cricketer who can, in Test cricket, bat down the order. And in white-ball cricket can be back at the top of the order. So there's that similarity with Gilchrist there. But if he continues in the same vein for a few more years, then people will say Gilchrist and Pant, yeah, very close," Smith said.

Tags: #RishabhPant, #AdamGilchrist, #IndianCricket, #T20WorldCup, #WicketkeeperBatter