IPL 2021: "No doubt about it" - Sunil Gavaskar predicts Rishabh Pant as a future captain

Sunil Gavaskar has predicted wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will be one of the top captains in the future. The former Indian skipper praised Pant's temperament as a leader, saying it was on par with his exhilarating talent.

Gavaskar also observed how Rishabh Pant was getting tired of being asked similar captaincy-related questions after every game in IPL 2021.

Pant was handed over the reins of the Delhi Capitals (DC) franchise for IPL 2021 as regular skipper Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the tournament due to injury.

Gavaskar defended Pant's minor mistakes by saying the youngster only showed a 'spark' at the tournament which could become a 'roaring fire' if treated with patience.

"The standout team Delhi Capitals under young Rishabh Pant. By the sixth game one could see that he was getting tired of being asked about being captain. Every presenter at the post-game ceremony had the same question to him. What he showed was a spark that can become a roaring fire if allowed to burn naturally. Yes, he will make mistakes; which captain doesn’t?" Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

"But like he showed in the few games in the IPL that he is clever enough to learn and his usual street-smart savvy meant he was on top of most situations and was finding his own method to get out of sticky ones. He is one for the future, no doubt about it. That’s because he has shown that talent can meet opportunity only when it walks hand in hand with temperament," he added.

In his first captaincy stint, Rishabh Pant led the Delhi Capitals to a top-of-the-table finish in the now-postponed IPL 2021. With six wins out of eight games, DC looked the most assured side in the tournament.

✍️ #OnTheWriteLine | Sunil Gavaskar recaps the season of the #IndianPremierLeague that was before its abrupt cancellation, with a special mention for @RishabhPant17 who he calls a captain to watch for the future. More in his column 👉 https://t.co/UNC5QO4lxK #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/qrCRAmMtzl

— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) May 12, 2021

Rishabh Pant was praised by many for his calm demeanor and clear tactics, prompting comparisons with former Indian skipper MS Dhoni and conjectures about him leading the Indian team in the future.

How did Rishabh Pant fare with the bat in IPL 2021?

Rishabh Pant in action. (PC: IPL)

Although he didn't play as well as he would have liked, Rishabh Pant made a decent contribution with the bat in IPL 2021. In eight innings, he scored 213 runs at an average of 35.50 and a strike rate of 131.48.

On a few occasions, especially against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Ahmedabad, the 23-year-old looked a bit bogged down by the leadership responsibility.

It will be interesting to see whether Shreyas Iyer returns to the helm when the tournament resumes, and how the change affects Rishabh Pant's batting form.

Ye Dil Mange "Mower"!Forced quarantine break but happy to be able to stay active while indoors. Please stay safe everyone.#RP17 pic.twitter.com/6DXmI2N1GY

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) May 11, 2021