Rishabh Pant attacks a bit more than I ever did: Adam Gilchrist

Ask anyone who grew up in the '90s, they would have, at some point, wanted to bat like one certain Adam Gilchrist. That’s the impact that the left-handed Australian had on world cricket at a time when it was all about attritional cricket. 

Now, in the 21st century, India’s wicketkeeping batter Rishabh Pant comes closest to the brand of cricket that Gilchrist had employed in the yesteryear. In just 33 Tests, the left-handed wicketkeeper has amassed 2271 runs, with a staggering average of 43.67 while maintaining a strike rate of 73.63. 

Since his debut, no batter has had a better strike rate than Pant (73.7) in Test cricket, amplifying his impact on the Indian whites. On Cricket.com’s ‘Unwind’, Gilchrist lavishly praised the new-age Pant, stating that the Indian ‘attacks a bit more than he ever did’. 

“Oh, he’s [closest to me], I reckon he [Rishabh Pant] attacks a bit more than even I did. I played an aggressive brand for the time. But Rishabh, he looks fearless. What I do like is his ability to occasionally put the foot on the brake and absorb a bit of pressure,” Gilchrist said on Cricket.com’s ‘Unwind’.

Gilchrist also insisted that Pant is a proper ‘bums on seats’ player, which is a driving force to get more crowd in Test cricket. 

“So he’s [Pant] a class act. He’s what you say, ‘bums on seats’. And people pay money well and truly and I would happily pay money to watch him play cricket. That’s a great quality to have I think,” he added. 

After surviving a near-death experience, Pant’s comeback has been quite a tale to tell, starting with the successful T20 World Cup campaign in 2024, where he amassed 171 runs, striking at 127.61, playing a vital role for the Men in Blue. 

In addition, the left-hander successfully returned to India’s Test setup after 635 days, showing his ability to bounce back from adversities. 

“If people acknowledge you in that manner, he gets results. He’s a winner, a survivor as we know. Yeah, just he’s all class in everything he does. He’s good fun, he’s got the humour. He knows about to go about a very serious business in a fun way,” Gilchrist concluded.

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