If you are consistent while taking risks, you are a special player: Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant

Aakash Chopra has termed Rishabh Pant a special player for being consistent despite taking risks.

Pant scored a belligerent 78 in the third and final ODI against England to help India set a 330-run target for the visitors. The knock came on the back of numerous such efforts during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the all-format series against England.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Aakash Chopra lauded Rishabh Pant for displaying amazing consistency despite following a buccaneering approach.

"He plays in this fashion and will continue doing so. We all feel that he takes a bit too much risk but that is his strength and style of play and if you stick to that and despite that if you are consistent, it means you are a special player," said Chopra.

While comparing Rishabh Pant to the likes of AB de Villiers and Adam Gilchrist, the former India opener pointed out that the 23-year-old succeeds in hitting a maximum whenever he takes the aerial route.

"We say the same thing about AB de Villiers and used to say about Adam Gilchrist. We are saying the same thing about Rishabh Pant. It seems like he is taking a little chance by playing shots in the air but whenever he hits the ball in the air, the ball lands in the stands," added Chopra.

Aakash Chopra observed Rishabh Pant was sent ahead of KL Rahul in the third ODI but soon found himself in troubled waters, with Team India in a spot of bother.

"India promoted him in the batting order. He was coming at No.5 but was sent at No.4 today so that the left-right combination could be maintained. Wickets had fallen one after the other, three of them had fallen together and you found yourself in a precarious situation from where you had to survive and get out," pointed out Chopra.

Rishabh Pant joined Virat Kohli in the middle at the fall of Shikhar Dhawan's wicket. The Indian captain was dismissed in the very next over and KL Rahul soon thereafter as the hosts were reduced to a score of 157/4.

However, a quickfire 99-run partnership between Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya bailed them out of trouble.

India have the two batsmen who’ve matured and improved the most in the last 6 months or so in the middle together. Hardik Pandya & Rishabh Pant perhaps are also the most adaptable batsmen in this current squad #IndvEng

— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) March 28, 2021

---

"Rishabh Pant is batting extremely well" - Aakash Chopra

Rishabh Pant registered his highest ODI score on Sunday

Aakash Chopra signed off by stating that Rishabh Pant might not have reached the three-figure mark but is batting at the top of his game.

"He got out to a good ball, it was very full and he was probably not ready for that, Jos Buttler took a very good catch. But the destructive way he was batting, I was expecting a century today and India would have reached 370 in that case. Unfortunately, he got out. We keep waiting for a century but he is batting extremely well," concluded Chopra.

There is no greater takeaway from the last few months than an exceptionally special player finding his rightful place in every India side. Been saying it for ages, just back him, he's bound to come good, and he was so, so good. This has been the summer of Rishabh Pant. 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/frd4wgNMfY

— Raunak Kapoor (@RaunakRK) March 28, 2021

The 78-run knock in the series-deciding encounter against England is Rishabh Pant's highest score in ODIs. He will hope to register his maiden century soon, although India does not have any ODIs lined up in the near future.