'He has that X factor' - Suresh Raina backs Rishabh Pant to shine in white-ball cricket

Raina's Endorsement: Pant Poised to Light Up Whiteball Cricket

Suresh Raina isn't mincing words when it comes to Rishabh Pant. On the Aakash Chopra show, the former India opener laid into his admiration for the wicket-keeper-bat and made clear he sees a generational talent maturing in front of his eyes.

"He has that X factor," Raina said. "He's one of the best. He's my favourite player. He's scoring heavily in Tests too. I think he'll mature in the whiteball game and the IPL as well."

The numbers back it up

Let's look at the data, because it's solid. Pant sits on 3,725 Test runs across 52 matches at a healthy 43.82 average—8 tons, 21 fifties. In the recent Sri Lanka series alone, he pulled in 168 runs at 56.00 with two half-centuries. That's not noise; that's a batsman in form in the longest format.

But here's the gap

Here's what catches my eye. Pant's whiteball international timeline has gone quiet. His last T20I was Pallekele on July 28, 2024, and his last ODI was Colombo on August 7, 2024—both vs SL. Over a year without the red ball's limited-overs counterparts at international level.

Meanwhile, his IPL value has only appreciated. NSG in 2025 and 2026, then a return to Delhi Capitals. The market's voting with its money, and it's bullish on him.

The bottom line

Raina's read is clear: Pant's skill set and Test credentials position him perfectly to claw his way back into India's whiteball plans—if he keeps building. The foundation's there; the question is whether the format conversion happens.

Also worth noting: Raina threw support behind explosive opener Abhishek Sharma's push into Test cricket, while poking at whether IPL franchises and state boards are actually doing enough to get young batsmen to embrace the marathon format.

My take? The X factor Raina talks about is real, but the whiteball gap is a risk factor worth tracking. If Pant's whiteball availability stays this muted, all that Test pedigree won't auto-convert. Watch the next selection cycle closely.

Source: Crictracker