"Rishabh (Pant) can have the same sort of success that Rohit had on Mumbai Indians" - Ricky Ponting

Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting believes wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant can emulate what Rohit Sharma has done as captain for Mumbai Indians (MI). Having won as many as five titles for MI, Sharma is the most successful captain in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Ponting oversaw Sharma's rise as captain during his time as the coach of MI. He feels Pant is quite similar to the current all-format Indian captain and has the ability to emulate the same success as DC skipper.

In an exclusive conversation with CricBuzz (via India Today), Ponting said:

“I haven't thought about that actually. But I think they are actually quite similar. When Rohit took over at Mumbai, he was quite a young man as well, and he just sort of started out in his international career. He would probably be about 23-24, similar age to what Rishabh over here.’’

The Australian added:

''To be totally honest, they're actually quite similar people. I know they're great mates, and they probably exchange little things about leadership and captaincy along the way as well. There is every opportunity for Rishabh's journey to be quite similar to Rohit Sharma."

The DC coach thinks Pant has a great opportunity to make his mark as a young captain, saying:

"Taking over as a young captain of a successful franchise and growing on a daily basis... Hopefully, Rishabh can have the same sort of success that Rohit had on Mumbai Indians."

Pant made his captaincy debut last season after regular captain Shreyas Iyer got ruled out due to injury. He led the team to the playoffs but DC lost both qualifiers to bow out of the tournament.

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"Rishabh could be international captain" - Ricky Ponting

Ponting added that he has no doubt that Pant could lead the national teamin the years to come, saying:

"With some experience in a role like this in such a high-pressure tournament like the IPL, you know, I've got no doubt, in years to com,e there is every chance that Rishabh could be international captain. No doubt about it."

Ponting concluded by heaping praise on the 24-year-old. He said that the Delhi player has shown constant improvement during his five-year tenure as the Capital's coach. He said:

‘’This is my fifth season here, and the evolution of Rishabh as a player and as a person has been quite dramatic. The last couple of years with some more responsibility in and around the Indian team, obviously captaining Delhi Capitals last season, there's been a lot of learning experiences for him."

He added:

''It will just keep helping him become a better leader and a better person on a daily basis. There's no doubt that his maturity over the last 12 or 18 months with his play but also with his leadership and captaincy has been outstanding."

Delhi will commence their IPL 2022 campaign against former champions Mumbai Indians on Sunday, March 27.