Rohit Sharma: Leave Rishabh Pant alone, he'll deliver match-winning performances

Rishabh Pant celebrates after scoring a century on the second day of the fourth Test cricket match between India and England. Picture/ AFP

India opener Rohit Sharma believes Rishabh Pant can replicate the heroics of the fourth and final Test against England if the wicket-keeper batsman is given the freedom to play his natural game.

Pant had scored a brilliant hundred in the final Test against England which helped Virat Kohli's men seal a spot in the inaugural World Test Championship final.

And Rohit has backed Pant to come good in the five-match T20I series which gets underway from Friday here at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

"Let Rishabh Pant be Rishabh Pant, he will come out and give you those performances. I have said in the past as well that leave Rishabh Pant alone and he will give you those performances. He can only go from strength to strength from here," said Rohit in a virtual press conference on Wednesday.

"There is no looking back for him. He has done exceptionally well in the last few months from Australia to the home series that we just played against England," he added.

The 32-year-old has full confidence that Pant would take his game to next level in the limited-overs fixtures against England if he isn't pressurised unnecessary.

"And I don't see anything stopping him unless we try and put pressure on him. We, as in, you guys, I think it's important for him to let him be himself. He likes to enjoy his game. You must have seen it on the ground, how he likes to play his game," said Rohit.

"And that is what we as team management and teammates expect from him too: to just be out there, enjoy the game, and do what he likes to do. The good thing right now is he has started to understand the game situation. This is another series for him that will take his confidence a notch higher if he keeps performing in the same manner. He needs to be given that freedom," Rohit added.

The upcoming T20I series against England will help the Men in Blue get perfect practice before the T20 World Cup slated to be played in October-November this year in India.

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