Sourav Ganguly wants Rishabh Pant to be more like Virat Kohli

It’s hard to believe that Delhi-born cricketer, Rishabh Pant, is still aged just 21 years and has already cemented his place in the Indian team. Touted as MS Dhoni’s replacement for India across all formats, Pant has received praise for his performance in the limited opportunities with the Indian team.

First against England away from home and then against West Indies on home soil, Pant has been regularly featured in the Indian team over the last six months. With Dhoni entering the twilight of his career, the onus will be on Pant to step up his game and match his predecessor’s level. However, former Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly, is of the opinion that the left-handed batsman needs to pick up a thing or two from Indian captain - Virat Kohli.

"Pant is an exceptional talent and is the future of Indian cricket. His run-scoring ability, that too all around the wicket, is remarkable. But one thing he quickly needs to learn from his captain Virat Kohli, who is such a fine example of this concept, is how to keep the game simple. I am sure with time, Pant will learn," Ganguly wrote in his column for TOI.

Talking about the current tour of Australia, Ganguly was disappointed in the planning process of the T20I series, which seen both teams play matches within a period of five days. He added that Australia were lucky to get away with a win in Brisbane and should expect a more wholesome performance from India in the series decider in Sydney.

"India go to Sydney for the third T20I but I am indeed amazed by the schedule! Three games over just five days in Australia is tough, especially when flights are so long in Australia. Sydney will provide a completely different challenge, as it will be the flattest of all the three pitches. Generally, touring teams expect it to spin in Sydney but as this is still early in the season, I don’t think that will be the case.

"Had we got a full game at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) and had India won in those conditions, the hosts would have been under huge pressure in the final game because this Indian team is capable of winning not only the T20s but also the Tests and ODIs against this Australian side," Ganguly concluded.