Rishabh Pant Records India’s Fastest Fifty Against New Zealand; Ravi Shastri Draws Comparisons to Legends

“He was on 1 overnight and has already outscored (Shubman) Gill. What sets Pant apart is his reputation for dismantling bowling attacks. When that’s the case, bowlers think, ‘If I make even a slight mistake, he’ll punish me.’ Players who have carried that kind of reputation include Viv Richards, Kapil Dev, and Ian Botham,” Shastri commented during the broadcast.“I mentioned a few names—Virender Sehwag also played that aggressive style of cricket.”

The wicketkeeper-batter came to the crease at a critical moment, with the team struggling at 85/4 in their first innings after losing three wickets in just two overs. Pant was tasked with stabilizing the innings and seeing out the remainder of the day’s play without further losses.