'I would let Rishabh Pant go through it' - Sourav Ganguly on crowd chanting MS Dhoni's name

The India-West Indies T20I series is about to begin in Hyderabad from December 06 and one the biggest talking leading into the rubber has been Rishabh Pant. The swashbuckling left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman has been under intense scrutiny over the last 5-6 months thanks to his lean run both in front and behind the stumps. The recently concluded T20I series against Bangladesh was particularly difficult for Rishabh.

Not only was he able to regain his batting form, his glovework as well as his decision-making as far as DRS is concerned, was abysmal, one that garnered a plethora of criticism from both fans as well as pundits. One of the things that are quickly becoming a norm every time Rishabh Pant makes an error with the gloves, is the crowd begins to chant “Dhoni…Dhoni” in the stadium.

While Virat Kohli is of the opinion that it is disrespectful to the cricketer, the BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly feels that Pant should get used to it and find a way to succeed. “It’s good for him (Pant). He should get used to it. Let him hear it and let him find a way to succeed. He will be under pressure and let him go through it and figure out on his own,” Ganguly said during the ‘India Today Conclave (East)’ as quoted by Hindustan Times.

It will take 15 years for Rishabh Pant to achieve what MS Dhoni did

Sourav Ganguly stayed tight-lipped on MS Dhoni’s future. He, however, went on to thank him for his contribution to Indian cricket while also asserting that it will take 15 years of hard work for Rishabh Pant to achieve what Dhoni has achieved.

“Everyday, you don’t get MS Dhoni. It will take Pant 15 years to achieve what MS has achieved. The BCCI can’t be thankful enough to MS for what he has done for Indian cricket. We will leave it at that. We are speaking to Virat, the selectors, that’s what it is. We will address (Dhoni future) as and when it comes,” he said.

Meanwhile, Indian captain Virat Kohli had come in support of the under-fire Pant. According to Kohli, it is extremely disrespecting on the part of people chanting Dhoni’s name every time Pant makes a mistake. The Indian captain also said it is a collective responsibility of everyone to unlock the beast and also echoed what Rohit Sharma had said a few days ago- the need to leave Pant alone for some time.