Rishabh Pant’s Stellar Performance in the Test Series Against England
India’s wicketkeeper, Rishabh Pant, has been making waves with his exceptional performances in the ongoing Test series against England. His remarkable skills have not only caught the attention of fans but also set a new benchmark for Indian wicketkeepers in Test cricket. Pant has already surpassed the legendary MS Dhoni by scoring the most centuries by an Indian wicketkeeper in Tests.
During the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, Pant delivered a performance that will be remembered for years to come. He became just the second wicketkeeper in history to score a century in each innings of a Test match. His audacious shot-making has left the English team struggling to contain his brilliance, with captain Ben Stokes seemingly out of options to stop his relentless assault.
Sarandeep Singh Praises Rishabh Pant’s Belligerent Strokeplay
Former India cricketer and current head coach of the Delhi senior men’s team, Sarandeep Singh, has praised Pant for his aggressive and confident strokeplay during the Test series. Singh highlighted how Pant’s strong mindset and belief in his abilities are key factors behind his success.
“Rishabh Pant is a phenomenal guy. He’s a very strong-headed boy and he knows what his game is. He knows what his game plan is, and he’s exactly doing what people expect of him. He follows his instincts. He knows what he’s going to do inside, and it’s helping the Indian team as well. So I’d just say, ‘Rishabh, keep doing like this because you are such a phenomenal player and a gifted player,'” said Sarandeep Singh in an interview with India Today on the sidelines of the Delhi Premier League Season 2 auction.
South Delhi Superstarz Secures Digvesh Rathi
Sarandeep, who also serves as the head coach of the South Delhi Superstarz in the Delhi Premier League (DPL), discussed the team’s recent signings during the auction. South Delhi managed to acquire the services of IPL sensation Digvesh Rathi, who had an outstanding season with the team in the first season of the DPL.
“The good thing is that we’ve got Digvesh Rathi back. He’s a match-winner, and he’s doing really well last season as well, and recently in IPL. He’s become better and better, and he’s more confident now because he’s seen that exposure at the highest level, so we were looking for him, and we got him back. We hope he’ll deliver the same things which he did for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and for us in the last season,” added Sarandeep.
Digvesh Rathi was the leading wicket-taker for South Delhi in the previous season, taking 14 wickets from ten matches and playing a crucial role in their run to the final. The wrist-spinner was also the highest wicket-taker for LSG in IPL 2025, claiming 14 wickets from 13 matches. At 25 years old, Rathi will aim to replicate his impressive performance in the second season of the DPL after being sold for Rs 38 lakh.
Priyansh Arya’s Potential and Advice from Sarandeep Singh
Meanwhile, Sarandeep Singh also shared his thoughts on Priyansh Arya, who gained recognition in the inaugural season of the DPL by finishing as the highest run scorer with 608 runs from ten matches. The southpaw became a household name after hitting six consecutive sixes in an over against North Delhi Strikers’ left-arm spinner Manan Bhardwaj.
However, Arya won’t be part of South Delhi for the second season as teams were allowed to pick only one Marquee player ahead of the auction, and they chose Ayush Badoni instead. Sarandeep expressed his disappointment at losing Arya, stating that no one can fill the gap he leaves behind.
“Unfortunately, Priyansh Arya is one of the best players. We don’t have it because in the auction, we’re allowed to take only one marquee player, so we had to leave him. No one can fill in Priyansh Arya’s place, he’s a fantastic player, a phenomenal human being, and I wish him luck for the next team. Hopefully, he won’t score runs against us. He’s growing up and I just want him to grow more. Don’t only play T20, play 50-over games, come to the 4-5 day games as well. So keep improving yourself, keep working hard and always aim to play the highest form of cricket that is Test match cricket. When you start thinking like that, his brain starts growing faster and faster,” said Sarandeep.
Priyansh had a promising start to his IPL career, finishing as the third-highest run scorer for Punjab Kings (PBKS) with 475 runs from 17 innings at a strike rate of 179.24. The 23-year-old hit a 39-ball century against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), smashing nine sixes in his innings. Arya will now represent Outer Delhi in the DPL season 2 and look to continue his successful run.
