Rishabh Pant as captain will be good for Indian cricket, says Arun Lal

Former Indian cricketer Arun Lal feels that wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant should take over the captaincy after Rohit Sharma. Pant, who scored a marvellous century in the rescheduled Test in England, converted his good form into the ODIs and brought up his maiden hundred in the format during the series decider against the host nation. His 113-ball 125* run knock ensured that India chased down the target of 260 easily and helped his side in securing a 2-1 series victory.

While Rohit is nearing the latter stages of his international career, there are quite a few contenders for captaincy and Pant is certainly one among those. He did lead the Indian side in the five-match T20I series against South Africa which ended 2-2. The left-hander’s recent form has produced a lot of impact on India’s results and has left some of the experts in awe.

Rishabh Pant is someone who is not afraid to play his game: Arun Lal

Lal mentioned that Pant should be the successor of Rohit for India captaincy and noted the importance of a captain deserving a place in the top three. He stressed Pant’s abilities to handle pressure and felt that a great leader does possess those skills. He concluded that Pant’s aggressiveness gives him the edge over other players and added that India will benefit under his leadership.

“Yes, absolutely (On being asked if Rishabh Pant is the future captain after Rohit Sharma). I always feel that the captain must deserve his place among the top three in the team. He (Pant) is someone who is not afraid to play his game, can handle pressure well, can take the team out of tough situations and such a player can be a great leader. It will be good for Indian cricket if we can have an aggressive player like Pant as captain of the side,” Lal told while speaking to Jagran TV.

Lal also weighed in on how Virat Kohli had changed the way Test cricket is seen at the moment. He mentioned that Pant can take over the aggressive mindset from Kohli and felt that consistency will make him a hero.

“There was a time when winning in Test cricket was considered once you secured yourself a draw. But this thinking has changed now and I give complete credit to Virat Kohli. He changed the mindset of the team and made the team play for a win without the fear of losing. Virat brought that aggression to the team and it can’t get any better if Pant can continue this. If Pant can play consistently, he will be a hero for the Indian team,” he added.