Exclusive: Rishabh Pant is biggest match-winner for India, and is yet to hit his prime, says Mohammad Kaif

NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant marked his much-awaited return to the Test arena with a swashbuckling hundred against Bangladesh in the Chennai Test.
After a stroke-filled 39 in the first innings, the dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman smashed 109 in the team's second essay and also featured in a 167-run partnership with Shubman Gill, setting the ground for India's eventual 280-run victory.
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes that the flamboyant keeper-batsman is the biggest match-winner for India in Test matches and his best is yet to come.
In an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.com, Kaif, who played 13 Tests and 125 ODIs for India, said that even though Ishan Kishan hit a hundred in a recent Duleep Trophy game, his comeback in the Indian team looks tough as long as Pant is there.
Kaif said, "Rishabh Pant wasn't there the last time when England toured India. Pant has been the biggest match-winner for India, coming in at No. 5-6, he has played many match-winning knocks, none bigger than the innings at the Gabba that all remember. He has hit hundreds in tough conditions in South Africa and England also."
Kaif continues, "So I think Rishabh Pant, stat wise, is best suited to Test cricket, that's his best format. There is no need for the Indian think tank to think of anybody other than Rishabh Pant. His best is yet to come, he is yet to hit his prime when he'll be around 27, his game will become more refined and then he will hit his peak. So Rishabh Pant's best time is yet to come, especially in Test cricket."
Pant also equalled his idol MS Dhoni in terms of Test centuries as an Indian wicketkeeper. Both Pant and Dhoni now have six Test hundreds to their name.
While Pant has played 34 Tests (58 innings) for his six Test tons, Dhoni collected six from 90 Tests (144 innings).
The two superstars of Indian batting - Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma registered two back-to-back low scores in Chennai.
On being asked if Virat and Rohit, who have retired from T20Is, are past their prime and should India start thinking about their successors, Kaif replied in the negative.
Kaif said, "They (Virat and Rohit) will play on for some time. They have retired from T20Is, but Rohit is doing a good job as captain, just won the T20 World Cup. And Virat believes that Test cricket is the 'toughest format' of the three formats that we play and he would love to excel in it. He (Virat) is supremely fit, so there's no worry, no hurry. As long as they (Virat and Rohit) maintain their fitness and form, there's any reason to think about it."
For the record, Virat has scored two hundreds against Bangladesh with a highest score of 204, while Rohit is yet to hit a Test century against Bangladesh with 44 being his highest score.