IPL 2018: Gautam Gambhir feels Rishabh Pant will give maximum returns from top order

Delhi Daredevils' newly-appointed captain Gautam Gambhir, in an event named Game Plan In Your City, opened up on the appointment of Ricky Ponting as the side's head coach. Gambhir, who was bought back by the Delhi-based franchise, termed Ponting a winner and went on to add that the former Australian skipper's addition will be a game-changer for the players involved.

"He's a winner and has gone through all sort of situations, has won the World Cup thrice. Despite that, he has had his fair share of ups and downs, both as a player and as a captain. He has led Australia for a considerable amount of time and it's beneficial for everyone involved if a winner comes into your group," the former KKR captain opined.

"He knows how to extract the best out of players as he has been through all of it. If a player's out of form, Ponting's well equipped to help him get back in the groove."

The 36-year-old, who led Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL titles, went on to suggest that captaincy in the IPL is not as easy as it seems. He was of the opinion that every player deserves an extended run to prove himself.

"Captaincy in the IPL is a challenge as you have a talented bunch of players. There are eight foreigners but we can only get in four, 16-17 Indian players but we can make only seven of them start. So it is paramount that the players get ample opportunity to showcase their skills.

"Because as a captain you don't want an insecure environment because it affects the players' performances. So the sooner we get the combination right, the better for us."

The Delhi-based cricketer even suggested that Rishabh Pant might play in the top order - one of the top three batsmen.

"My personal opinion is that if Pant plays in the top three, he'll give us maximum returns."