Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar lauded wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant’s fearless batting approach and natural talent, recalling how Ashish Nehra had predicted the youngster’s rapid rise.Pant, who is classified as an entertainer in the red-ball format, put up a spectacle with his swashbuckling strokeplay in his four appearances during the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The 27-year-old concluded the series with 479 runs in four matches and seven innings at an average of 68.42, with two centuries and three fifties.

Speaking to Doordarshan Sports, Bangar highlighted Pant’s aggressive mindset in the nets and praised him as a rare wicketkeeper-batter capable of featuring in the top five.

“I had heard from Ashish Nehra that Rishabh is a very good player who’s going to progress very quickly. He is a naturally gifted batter. But, he’s also very fearless. I saw the first sign of his fearlessness in the nets itself. He used to tell the bowlers to bowl quickly and attack his body. Very few bowlers have had this mindset. He had just begun playing the IPL back then. So Nehra’s assessment was correct. After a long time, we’ve found a wicketkeeper who can bat in the top-5,” Sanjay Bangar to Doordarshan Sports.

Pant was ruled out of the series finale at The Oval after he sustained an injury to his foot. In Manchester, a toe-crushing yorker from England pacer Chris Woakes struck him, forcing him to retire hurt on 37(54) at that time, he couldn’t walk back and went off the ground on a golf buggy.

To everyone’s surprise, he returned to the field with a broken foot and was met by a heart-stirring applause from the spectators. He added valuable runs, raised his bat to celebrate a hard-fought fifty and with his flamboyance, he propelled India to 358.