IPL 2022: Rishabh Pant should be groomed for Indian Test team captaincy, says Yuvraj Singh

Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant lost his cool in their last match against Rajasthan Royals when Obed McCoy bowled a waist high full-toss to Rovman Powell which wasn’t deemed a no-ball.

Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant during a practice session. (Source: Twitter)

Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh has asked the Team India national selectors to appoint Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant as vice-captain of the national team as well. Pant is currently leading DC in the ongoing IPL 2022 while Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul is the vice-captain of the national side which is led by Rohit Sharma.

In an exclusive interview with the newly-launched channel ‘Sports18’, Yuvraj says Pant needs to be ‘groomed and given time’, describing the wicketkeeper as a player whose “game has evolved in recent years.”

“You must get someone ready. Like Mahi became captain out of nowhere but they made him, right! Then he evolved,” says Yuvraj, who believes Pant can be the right man to lead the Test team in near future. “Keeper is always a good thinker because he always has the best view on the ground.

“You pick a young guy who can be a future captain, give him time and don’t expect miracles in the first six months or a year. I feel you must believe in the younger guys to get the job done,” he adds.

The former India southpaw dismissed critics questioning Pant’s maturity. “I was immature at that age, Virat was immature when he was captain at that age. But he (Pant) is maturing with time,” said Yuvraj. “I don’t know how the support staff think about it, but I think he is the right guy to lead the Test team.”

Pant has scored 188 runs in 7 matches in IPL 2022 at an average of 37.6 with a strike-rate of 154.09. However, the DC skipper lost his cool in their last match against Rajasthan Royals when Obed McCoy bowled a waist high full-toss to Rovman Powell which wasn’t deemed a no-ball. Pant was docked his entire match-fees for the game after he had gestured to call back the DC batter in that final over.

Loved this attitude from Rishabh Pant.
Captains fighting hard for wrong umpiring ___#RR #RRvsDC #Pant #RishabhPant #NoBall #umpire pic.twitter.com/xOQLAFP8Ai — Kshitij Umarkar Patil (@itsKshitijPatil) April 22, 2022

Yuvraj revealed that in his conversations with Pant, he often cites the example of Australian legend Adam Gilchrist, who made 17 Test centuries batting at No. 7. “You already have four Test hundreds already and you can do that. In terms of best wicket-keeper batsman, I see Rishabh could be the future legend,” Yuvraj said.