DUBAI (UAE) : Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will make a successful comeback next year.
Pant has been sidelined since a vehicle accident at the end of last year, but the wicketkeeper batter is making a great recovery and is likely to return to the pitch next year.
Hussain has always admired Pant and his aggressive style, and he hopes to see the brilliant 26-year-old back in time to make a difference in 2024.
“That was such a serious accident. The whole world held its breath and it has been a slow recovery. You follow on social media, on my phone and the initial first walking steps to then scenes in the gym and then scenes of him playing a bit of cricket, scenes of him with Ricky (Ponting). I travelled with Ricky in the summer in the Ashes, and Ricky was texting him ‘how’s the progress coming along’, and he is a box office cricketer,” Hussain was quoted as saying by ICC.
With Pant out, KL Rahul has stepped up to maintain wickets in his absence and had a fantastic performance at the previous ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, scoring 452 runs at an average of 75.33.
“India have done well without him (Pant) as KL has come in and been brilliant in all formats. They’ll continue to be brilliant. They’re lucky to have both of them, but Rishabh Pant, before his injury, was box office, and hopefully after his injury, will be box office as well,” Hussain noted.
While India has a variety of good batting options, Hussain believes that young opener Shubman Gill will prosper in 2024 and beyond as he strives to take his skills to the next level and become one of the world’s top players.
“He (Gill) had a very good three quarters, or nine tenths of 2023. You must have learned so much having the likes of Rohit Sharma at the other end,” Hussain said.
“He just fell away maybe at the end. Maybe that illness, you know, just got to him a little bit, and he’s formed just in a month. We take it far too short when we’re in the broadcasting world. He’s a super talent, and he’s going to be the next sensation for India for years to come. So, hopefully, he’ll have a good 2024,” he added. (ANI)