Karthik Urges Caution in Hailing Pant as India’s Greatest Wicket-Keeper Batter

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has called for a more measured approach when assessing Rishabh Pant’s place among India’s wicket-keeping legends. While Pant has already made a mark with some outstanding performances in Test cricket, Karthik believes it is premature to declare him as India’s greatest wicketkeeper-batter, especially in comparison to MS Dhoni.

Pant has garnered significant praise for his contributions, particularly in the red-ball format. He equaled Dhoni’s tally of six Test centuries after scoring 109 in the opening Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. Remarkably, Pant achieved this milestone in just 34 Tests, while Dhoni played 90 Test matches during his career.

However, Dhoni’s legacy is more closely tied to his exceptional performances in the white-ball formats, which cemented his status as one of the game’s all-time greats.

Karthik, speaking on Cricbuzz, emphasized that while Pant is certainly on the right path, his career is still young. “It’s very unacceptable to say that he’s played 34 Tests and he’s already India’s greatest wicketkeeper-batter. Let’s take time, let’s not jump to conclusions but definitely, he’s on course for sure and he will finish as India’s greatest ever wicketkeeper.”

Dhoni Created a Team as a Leader

Karthik also highlighted Dhoni’s comprehensive contributions to Indian cricket, not just as a batsman and keeper, but as a leader. “Don’t discount Dhoni’s credentials as a wicketkeeper. He not only kept brilliantly, batted and scored runs when it mattered for India, but also led India to a World Test Championship mace, becoming the number 1 team. So you’ve got to give all that weightage when you speak about a player all round.”

Pant, meanwhile, has maintained his focus amid ongoing comparisons with Dhoni. Speaking on Jio Cinema, Pant expressed his desire to forge his own path. “This is CSK’s home ground. Mahi bhai has played a lot of cricket here. But, for me, like I have said before, I want to be myself. I don’t focus on what’s being said or what’s happening around me. I keep things simple and focus on giving my best.”

The second Test between India and Bangladesh is set to take place at Green Park, Kanpur, starting on September 27. Fans will be keenly watching to see if Pant continues his impressive run, while discussions over his place in Indian cricket’s rich wicket-keeping history will undoubtedly continue.