'Focus on him a lot more when he is doing good things also, not just bad things. He has been learning, there have been times he has kept well also. He is trying to do what the team management wants him to do,' said Rohit Sharma on Rishabh Pant
Nagpur: With young wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant under intense scrutiny, India’s stand-in captain Rohit Sharma requested everyone to “keep your eyes away” from the Delhi left-hander.
In the ongoing Twenty20 International series, Pant’s wicketkeeping has not been up to the mark. However, Rohit, ahead of the series-deciding third T20I in Nagpur, backed Pant.
Also read: Sourav Ganguly backs 'superb player' Rishabh Pant
“You know there is a lot of talk happening about Rishabh Pant every day, every minute. I just feel that he needs to be allowed to do what he wants to do on the field. I would request everyone to keep your eyes away from Rishabh Pant for a while,” Rohit told reporters on Saturday (November 9) in Nagpur as they look to win the series which is level at 1-1.
“Focus on him a lot more when he is doing good things also, not just bad things. He has been learning, there have been times he has kept well also. He is trying to do what the team management wants him to do. He is a fearless cricketer and we team management want him to have that freedom. And if you guys take your eyes off him for some time, it will allow him to perform even better,” Rohit added.
Also read: Wanted to hit 6 sixes in 1 over, says Rohit Sharma
The 32-year-old opening batsman is leading the team in the shortest format in absence of regular caption Virat Kohli. In the last game, he played a knock of 85 runs which guided India to a comfortable win by eight wickets.
“I always love playing against all the opposition it is just not Bangladesh. I'm here to play cricket and to enjoy it. It is a great opportunity and honour to play and represent your country. I'm enjoying every bit of it,” Rohit said.
“I'm happy to win the game. I was not looking to score a hundred, I was looking to win the game and we won the game. I'm really really happy for that,” he added.
Talking about the pitch condition in Nagpur, Sharma said it will help the bowlers if they bowl on the right areas.
“Nagpur generally is a very good track to play cricket actually. It assists the bowlers also if you are bowling in the right channels. Even the Rajkot pitch there was something in there for the bowlers,” Rohit said.
“Our spinners especially were getting a lot of turns. The pitch doesn't matter if you have skills and variations in your armoury. I think any pitch you play will look as good as any other pitch,” he added.
After the T20I series, India and Bangladesh play two Tests with the second game being a day/night contest at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.