By Bipin Dani
In a sport that thrives on numbers yet lives for moments, Rishabh Pant has delivered one for the ages. Not once, but twice in a match where expectations were high and history waited with a blank page, Pant blazed through it with back-to-back centuries, while donning the gloves in both innings. The cricketing world stood in awe, and rightly so.
From the dressing rooms of nostalgia to the corridors of modern selectors, the applause echoed.
“Simply unbelievable achievement,” exclaimed MSK Prasad, former India wicket keeper and ex-chairman of selectors. “Keeping wickets in two innings and scoring 100s in both is a dream for any WK. It speaks volumes about a player’s physical and mental endurance to last four innings with such outstanding performances in both batting and wicketkeeping.”
This was more than a statistical marvel, it was a statement of spirit. A testament to a man who, not long ago, lay battered in a mangled car wreck, with silence hanging heavily over his cricketing future.
Farokh Engineer, the flamboyant India stumper of yesteryears, was generous in his tribute. “Fantastic achievement indeed. Bats with supreme confidence, which enables him to attempt to play some shots. His innings makes a mockery of the MCC Coaching Manual. Keep going, Rishabh.”
But beneath the cheeky swagger and audacious strokeplay lies a steel forged in adversity. “Extremely lucky—and huge credit to my dear young friend for recovering so well from his horrendous car crash. We all prayed for his speedy recovery,” Engineer added, before signing off with a twinkle: “Rishabh reminds me so much of my younger cricketing days.”
With every dive behind the stumps and every crack of willow, Pant is not just rewriting records, he’s redefining resilience.
About the Author
