Rohit Sharma leaves fans in splits with interesting Rishabh Pant question for media: WATCH

India's young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant's career has been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride. Touted to be the country's next big cricketing superstar, the player has had to deal with several ups and downs in his stint with the Indian side. The left-hander seems to be in scintillating form lately and was recently lauded by Rohit Sharma. 

Rohit Sharma wants media to let Rishabh Pant play with freedom

India's opening batsman Rohit Sharma shares a great camaraderie with Rishabh Pant. Speaking to the media about the youngster's performances, India's white-ball vice-captain mentioned how he has showcased a significant improvement in his overall game. He put emphasis on how the southpaw has worked on his wicket-keeping and batting, and how his aggressive approach has paid dividends for the Indian cricket team. 

The right-hander mentioned how Pant has impressed with his lion-hearted performances in Australia and the recently concluded India vs England Test series. Sharma also pointed out that the 23-year-old enjoys his game and which is why the team management has also given him the freedom to go out and express himself in the middle. The star batsman also asked the Indian media if they were also ready to let the talented wicketkeeper play with freedom and suggested that one should not put added pressure on his game. Watch the full Rohit Sharma interview here:

India vs England T20 series

After entertaining fans with their blockbuster clash in the longer format, the two cricketing giants will battle it out in white-ball matches. The two star-studded line-ups will feature in a five-match T20 series. All the fixtures will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The opening contest of the India vs England T20 series will be played on Friday, March 12. Virat Kohli & co. will be keen to capitalise on the momentum that they are carrying into the limited-over matches. The series also is of utmost importance for the participating nations considering the upcoming ICC World T20. 

Rishabh Pant stats in international cricket 

After having played 20 Test matches so far, the player has amassed 1358 runs in his Test career and boasts of a healthy batting average of 45.3. The left-hander has three centuries to his name and has also scored six fifties in the longer format. It is worth mentioning that Rishabh Pant is the first Indian wicketkeeper to smash a century in both Australia and England. He has scored 410 and 374 runs in 28 T20Is and 16 ODIs, respectively. 

Image source: Rohit Sharma Instagram