'No logic in comparing my performances until...': Rishabh Pant defends his white-ball record with blunt reply

Rishabh Pant is an all-format keeper-batter for Team India. While his numbers in Tests are magnificent, with 2,123 runs in 31 matches including five tons and 10 half-centuries, he averages just 35 in ODIs -- with a solitary hundred in 29 games -- and an ordinary 22.43 in T20Is, along with a strike rate of126.37. Thus, questions have been raised on India giving Pant a longer rope in limited-overs despite him still not performing at his best.

Before the start of the third and final ODI between India and New Zealand, in Christchurch, Pant had an on-air interaction with renowned broadcaster Harsha Bhogle. During the interaction, Bhogle spoke at length about Pant's ordinary white-ball numbers. To this, the 25-year-old gave a blunt reply while defending his overall run so far in limited-overs. Here's how the whole conversation panned out between the two:

Harsha Bhogle:"Maine Viru se bohut saal pahle ye sawal poocha tha, ab aap se puch raha hu. Aapko dekhke lagta hai, white-ball game inki khaas baat hogi but aapka Test record sabse accha hai.(Some years back, I'd asked the same question to Sehwag. Now, I'm asking you. Looking at you, we get the feeling that white-ball cricket is your USP but it's your Test record which has been better...)

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Rishabh Pant:"Sir, record toh ek number hai. Mera white-ball record bhi kharab nahi hai. Thik hai T20 ka...(Sir, records are just mere numbers. My white-ball record is not bad. It is average in T20Is...)"

Harsha Bhogle (interrupting):"Main kharab nahi keh raha hu, comparison kar raha hu. (I'm not saying it's bad.Just comparing it with Tests)"

Rishabh Pant:"Comparison karna toh sir apni life ka part hi nahi hai na. Abhi main 24-25 years ka hu, comparison karna hai toh jab main 30-32 ka ho jaunga tab karna, usse pahle toh koi logic nahi hai mere liye.(I don't look into comparisons. I'm 24-25, if you want to compare, you can do that when I am 30-32, no logic behind doing it before that)."

Talking about Pant's recent outing with the bat, the swashbuckling left-hander failed to get going and returned with a 16-ball 10 in the India-NZ third and final ODI, in Christchurch, on Wednesday (November 30). After being asked to bat first, India only managed a below-par 219 all-out in 47.3 overs with NZ being well-placed at 104/1 in 18 overs being rain played spoilsport and the match was called off eventually. NZ have won the three ODIs 1-0.