'Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has now surpassed Rishabh Pant in terms of natural talent' - Syed Kirmani urges wicketkeeper-batter to improve

Rishabh Pant was one of the breakout stars of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. He won the Emerging Player of the Season award after smashing 684 runs in 14 matches at an average of 52.61 and a strike rate of 173.60. This remains his best performance in a particular season of the IPL. The wicketkeeper-batter has been an integral part of India's Test side, but his performances in white-ball cricket have been underwhelming.

Former India wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani stated that when he saw Pant during his early days in the Indian team, he felt that he was the most gifted player to have represented the country after Sachin Tendulkar. However, the 76-year-old said that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the Emerging Player award winner in IPL 2026, has surpassed Pant in terms of natural talent.

"When Rishabh Pant broke into the Indian side, I thought he was the most talented or gifted player after Sachin Tendulkar. I considered him the most talented until this new boy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, emerged. Leaving wicketkeeping aside and looking at him purely as a batsman, I think Sooryavanshi has now surpassed him in terms of natural talent," Kirmani was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

Kirmani advised Pant to work on his physical fitness and consistency as a batter. The former also raised questions about Pant's temperament and urged him to play according to match situations.

"Rishabh has to work hard on his physical fitness, consistency and temperament. His temperament is very vulnerable, turbulent. No player can say 'I am a born hitter, I have to hit every ball'. You might have that particular day when you get rid of every ball you want to hit. But you have to look into the circumstances, what format you are playing, and what the team wants you to do," Kirmani added.

The 1983 World Cup winner made it clear that Pant's place in the Indian squad can no longer be taken for granted, insisting that the former Lucknow Super Giants captain must earn his spot through performances.

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"Wherever Rishabh Pant is selected, he has to show his physical fitness, he has to show his performance. He has to show his consistency is better than the other wicketkeepers competing with him. That's it," he said.