Wasim Jaffer warned RIshabh Pant of the Ishan Kishan threat |Courtesy - BCCI/PTI/AP Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer urged Rishabh Pant to elevate his game to retain his place in the Indian Test team and claimed Ishan Kishan has closed the gap on him. The cricket-turned-coach pointed out that Dhruv Jurel is also in the mix, and the former vice-captain of the team has an important season ahead of him. In their last five Test matches, India have fielded both Pant and Jurel in the playing XI, with the latter playing as a specialist batter. Although, Pant has remained the designated wicket-keeper and continued to make runs with the bat, his spot has been rumoured to be in trouble after he was dropped from both the T20I and ODI team and also stripped of vice-captaincy earlier this year. “I would say Ishan Kishan, who has taken his game to a much higher level. At one point, it felt like Rishabh Pant was well ahead of Ishan Kishan. But now, it seems Ishan is steadily closing that gap. So, I feel this season will be very important for Rishabh Pant, whether it is the Ranji Trophy, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy or the IPL. I think he will have to elevate his game. The gap is gradually narrowing, especially with Dhruv Jurel also in the mix. “Ishan Kishan has become so consistent across formats that, honestly, you don't see many wicketkeeper-batters ahead of him at the moment. KL Rahul is keeping wickets in ODIs, but Ishan is someone you can also play purely as a batter," Jaffer said in a video on his YouTube channel. However, the ex-Indian opener pointed out that Pant has played several match-winning knocks for India and called his impact equivalent to Adam Gilchrist. Jaffer claimed the 29-year-old should have a lot more centuries. "You cannot put Rishabh Pant behind the others. He has played series-defining and match-winning innings on several occasions. He has been dismissed in the 90s so many times that I feel he might have scored another 10-15 centuries by now otherwise. “I think Rishabh Pant has been outstanding in such a short career. The kind of innings he has played is something I have rarely seen from anyone. We have obviously seen Adam Gilchrist do it, but after him, I don't think many players have produced such outstanding innings in such a short period," Jaffer added. Disclaimer: This article summarizes a report by Wasim Jaffer. While Times Now has verified the public data presented, the interpretations of 'intent' remain those of the creator. Aayush Kataria is a Senior Copy Editor at Times Network with five years of experience, having started his career in the organisation. He is a key memb... View More