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'I Try To Keep Him Calm...': KL Rahul Sheds Light On His Chemistry With Pant At The Crease

Probuddha Bhattacharjee

KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant during the Headingley Test [Source: AP Photos]KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant during the Headingley Test [Source: AP Photos]

The match between India and England stands at a crucial juncture at the end of the fourth day. Carried by the brilliant hundreds from KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, India was able to set a target of 371 runs for the home team.

Notably, Rahul and Pant had a partnership of 195 runs in the middle. This laid the foundation of the competitive total India set for England.

Rahul In Awe Of Pant

After the end of the day, KL Rahul was seen discussing Pant's batting style in a press conference (video posted by Star Sports on their X Handle). The southpaw is known for his unorthodox shot-making and bold intent, even in the purest format of the game. Admiring this very quality of the batter, Rahul was heard saying - 

'You just stand there and admire and sometimes scratch your head about the shot selections and the outrageous cricket he plays.'

Rahul Talks About His Understanding With Pant

In Test cricket, Rishabh Pant and Rahul have been quite successful partners. The duo has batted in 8 innings and has scored 521 runs in them at a stunning average of 65.12. They have also been involved in two partnerships with over 100 partners. Rahul was also heard shedding light on this - 

'(Pant is a) Unique, unique player. You just let them be. I have had a few partnerships with him. I remember his first Hundred would be in Oval. We batted for a long period of time, he enjoys his cricket and that is how he likes to express himself.'

Let Pant Be Pant: Rahul

Further in the interaction, Rahul cheekily said that Pant was a methodical thinker who thought for himself. As per the right-handed batter, the best way to allow such natural talent to be fostered is by letting them be. 

'I just let him be and try to keep him as calm as possible. He has a method of his own that none of us in this room understands. So let's just let him be Rishabh Pant and make the best decisions for himself.'

Rishabh Pant's Unorthodox Methods Yiedling Result In Test Cricket

In the second innings of the game, when Pant walked out to bat, India was in a precarious situation, having lost three wickets for 92 runs. Even with the pressure of the game being on the line, Pant did not curb his instincts and went to score his runs at a strike rate of 84.29. 

The very innings is an embodiment of Rahul's evaluation of the Indian wicketkeeper-batter. Even with his copybook-defying approach, Pant averages over 42 in Test cricket while maintaining a strike rate of 73.63. So, just as Rahul mentioned, if being Pant is working for him and the team, it is the best way to let him play.