Rishabh Pant Names The Only Player Who Has Transcended Cricket

Rishabh Pant [Source: AFP]Rishabh Pant has gradually fallen off the selectors’ radar for India’s ODI and T20I consideration. However, the senior wicketkeeper-batter continues to remain an integral member of the Indian Test cricket team.Just recently, the blistering left-hander plundered two scores of above 60 against Sri Lanka, with his innings contributing to India’s 1-0 Test series win in the island nation. At the age of 28 and with 52 Test caps to his name, Pant is already one of India’s most successful wicketkeeper-batters of all time in red-ball cricket, at least statistically. Despite having achieved unprecedented success as an Indian cricketer, the stumper still believes that Virat Kohli has absolutely transcended the game.Rishabh Pant says Virat Kohli’s career graph has never declinedWhile speaking on Business of Sport, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant talked about the highs and lows of the game every cricketer has to go through in their respective careers.However, out of the blue, Pant also cited the example of national teammate Virat Kohli by claiming that the legendary batter has remained at his absolute best throughout his cricketing journey.Pant said “You know, when you're an early kid, everyone likes you. Suddenly, after two or three years, you know, as an athlete, the graph is always up and down. It just doesn't go like this until you are Virat Kohli. Yeah, you know, and he's been exceptional throughout his career.”Also Read- Mohammed Shami, Rishabh Pant For 2027 World Cup After New Selection Committee? Aakash Chopra BelievesWhen asked about what makes Kohli so special and a better player than the rest, the Indian stumper explained that it is important for every player aspiring success to not focus on what’s happening outside. Rishabh Pant explained “I would say, like, if you start focusing on what's happening outside, you tend to forget you have to, you know, because everything you do in your life will be questioned, will be challenged. Rather than it can be a sports thing, it can be a personal thing, but every decision you are making is being challenged, in a good way or in a bad way.”Watch The Video Here: Has Virat Kohli really transcended the game?Compatible to Rishabh Pant’s claims, Virat Kohli is indeed one of the greatest modern-day batters, if not one of the greatest cricketers of all time. Currently the leading century-maker in ODI cricket with 55 tons, the former Indian captain is chasing the overall world record tally of 100 international centuries of Sachin Tendulkar. Just this past weekend, Kohli carved out 139* runs off 88 balls against the West Indies to shape his century number 86, thus help inch closer to Tendulkar’s 100. He also completed 15,000 ODI runs through the course of his innings, thus joining Tendulkar in an exclusive ODI club.Apart from his overall ODI success, Virat Kohli aggregated over 750 runs in the 2023 ICC World Cup, the highest among all players in a single edition. Moreover, he was part of the team that lifted the 2011 World Cup.Kohli was once T20I cricket’s most successful batter, and won the ‘Player of the Tournament’ in two separate T20 World Cup editions, before lifting the 2024 title as he bowed out of the format on a high note.In Tests, Virat Kohli remains India’s greatest captain by a landslide, having led to 40 wins in just 68 matches. At one point, the prolific right-handed batter held an average in excess of 50 across all three formats of the game.Pant’s assessment is certainly bold, but Kohli’s remarkable consistency and longevity across formats provide plenty of context behind such a lofty claim.What’s next for Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli?Rishabh Pant is currently preparing himself for India’s upcoming Test tour of New Zealand. The series marks an important one for the Indian cricket team in the ongoing 2025-27 WTC cycle. It is important to note that before that, Rishabh Pant will play in the Irani Cup between the Rest of India and Jammu & Kashmir.For Virat Kohli, his primary objective right now is to sustain his form up until the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa next year. The star player has already expressed his desire to lift the trophy next year, especially after losing the 2023 title in the final. Also Read- Kusal Mendis’ ODI Transformation Could Be Crucial for Sri Lanka at World Cup 2027