THIS young batsman can replace Virat Kohli as captain, feels former India selector Kiran More

Indian captain Virat Kohli (left) with Rishabh Pant. (Photo: IPL)

Former India chief selector Kiran More believes Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant can lead the Team India in the future. More feels Pant has the skills to take Indian cricket forward as he has the right mindset. Pant has the experience of leading Delhi in the domestic circuit and he was also given the captaincy mantle by Delhi Capitals for IPL 2021 as Shreyas Iyer was ruled out with a shoulder injury.

Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant has taken giant strides in the last six months. The left-hander scored 274 runs in the three-Test matches against Australia, including a match-winning knock of 89 runs in the historic Gabba Test match. Subsequently, the southpaw scored a total of 270 runs in the four-Test matches against England in the home conditions.

“Rishabh Pant has the potential to take the Indian team forward. He can lead the side in future. The kind of mindset he has, he can definitely become the captain of India,” former India wicketkeeper told India TV. “Rishabh Pant has a sharp mind, he can achieve a lot of things. But it is also up to the individual, how disciplined you are, how do you see the future,” More added.

Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant has had a roller coaster journey so far in his young international career. More believes the bad phase which Pant faced early in his career has made him mentally stronger for the challenges.

“If you see Rishabh Pant’s graph it has been full of ups and downs. The bad phase has made him mentally strong. He was not picked for the World Cup at first, was dropped from T20Is and ODIs as well. But the way he made a comeback through Test cricket is what makes you a real cricketer. Making a comeback after you get dropped is always the hardest but Pant has shown that he belongs at that level. He will take Indian cricket forward,” More added.

More also shed light on Pant’s comparison with former skipper MS Dhoni. The former Indian wicketkeeper feels Pant is still young in his International career and needs to be given time.

“Rishabh has come into the Indian team at a very young age. He is still very young. So you have to give time to a player (to mature). Yes, he will make mistakes here and there, that is natural. When Mahi came, he was a lot matured. He was not as young as Pant when he came into the Indian team. Pant, on the other hand, has come up through the U19 ranks and is a rare talent. He needs to be nurtured well,” he said.