'He's going to be a superstar': Former South Africa skipper makes huge claim about India youngster

Former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith said on Friday that he believes Rishabh Pant has the potential to become a superstar in the world of cricket and made it clear that even though there are a number of wicketkeeper batsmen performing well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and on the domestic circuit, he does not believe that there is any threat to Pant’s place in the Indian cricket team.

"I can't see Rishabh Pant missing out, despite the likes of Samson, DK and Kishan doing well. Ultimately, it will come down to combinations. Who gets picked will depend on the conditions and who they are coming up against... Pant has to be there. You can't leave out Pant. He is going to play all formats for India for a very long time. He's going to be a superstar," Smith told Cricket.com.

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The South Africa legend also praised Pant for his leadership skills as the skipper of Delhi Capitals but added that his batting can used even more by the teams if he is promoted up the order.

"Rishabh has got starts in every game, but everyone needs to be patient. The strike rate hasn't quite happened yet, but everyone needs to be patient. Today, DC needed to rebuild after losing a couple of wickets, but the strong finish never came." Smith pointed out that they needed to get to a total of 170-180.

"Maybe the way forward is to promote Rishabh. Get him up to No. 3 and take the pressure off him and give him more time. Maybe this way, he’ll be able to set the tone and not think too much. "