After realising the potential of Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant, the former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh thinks that Pant needs to be “groomed and given time”, and also complimented the player about his game saying that his “game has evolved in recent years.”

Rishabh Pant has been a key member of the Test team since his debut in 2018, scoring 1920 runs in 30 matches at an average of 40.85, with four centuries and nine fifties to his name. Pant has taken 107 catches and 11 stumpings while wearing the keeping gloves.

Pant is currently captaining the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2022 season, having taken over as captain of the franchise in 2021. As a captain in first-class cricket, Pant led Delhi to a second-place finish in the 2017/18 Ranji Trophy as a 20-year-old.

“You must get someone ready. Like Mahi became captain out of nowhere but they made him, right! Then he evolved. Keeper is always a good thinker because he always has the best view on the ground,” said Yuvraj Singh in an upcoming interview on ‘Home of Heroes’ show on the newly-launched sports channel Sports18 to be aired at 7pm on April 29.

“You pick a young guy (Pant) 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,” added Yuvraj, who himself has featured in 40 Tests for India.

Yuvraj, who was a star member of India’s world cup winning squad in the 2007 Men’s T20 World Cup and 2011 Men’s Cricket World Cup, dismissed any attempts by the critics who were questioning Pant’s lack of maturity. “I was immature at that age, Virat (Kohli) was immature when he was captain at that age. But he (Pant) is maturing with time. I don’t know how the support staff think about it, but I think he is the right guy to lead the Test team.”

Yuvraj also revealed that in his conversations with Pant, he frequently uses the example of Australia wicketkeeping legend Adam Gilchrist, who batted at number seven for 17 Test centuries. “You already have four Test hundreds and you can do that. In terms of best wicket-keeper batsman, I see Rishabh could be the future legend.”

(Inputs from IANS)