'He's got a decade of top-level cricket' - Graeme Swann lavishes praise on DC skipper Rishabh Pant as he turns 24

Rishabh Pant turned 24 on Monday (October 4). The young Indian wicketkeeper-batsman had a lot of noise when he broke into the scene in the IPL for Team Delhi (then known as the Delhi Daredevils). Soon, he made his debut for Team India and got some success but endured a lean phase post the 2019 ODI World Cup.

However, things changed for the young keeper-batsman when he replaced Wriddhiman Saha in India's Test side during the Australia series Down Under in late 2020. Since then, the swashbuckling left-hander has been in rollicking form across formats and has also improved significantly behind the stumps. As he turns 24, former England spinner Graeme Swann and Australia's ex all-rounder Shane Watson lavished praise on Pant.

'I can’t really believe he is 24. He has got a decade of top-level cricket'

"He is very fortunate to have a guy like Ricky Ponting. I think he is one of the best cricket minds I have played under. With Ricky Ponting guiding him all the way, he has been very impressive. Initially, when he got the captaincy, I had a few question marks but he has done well, marshaling his troops and Delhi Capitals have played beautiful cricket," Watson told broadcasters during IPL 14.

"Absolutely, because he is such a young guy and seeing the way he played his cricket, he seemed a bit of a maverick with his slam-bang approach. But I think it’s a stroke of genius. I think he is really got along well with Ricky Ponting who knows how to get things done. Rishabh Pant is adventurous, he likes to take things on and it (The move) has worked brilliantly. I can’t really believe he is 24. He has got a decade of top-level cricket," Swann said in the same show.

Pant is India's first wicketkeeper to score a ton in England, was Ajinkya Rahane-led India's highest run-getter in the 2020 Border-Gavaskar Trophy versus Australia in their own backyard, holds the record of joint-most catches by a keeper in a Test and is already Delhi's leading run-getter in IPL history.

Leading Delhi Capitals (DC) despite Shreyas Iyer's presence, Pant will be eager to take DC to their maiden title after they ended as the runners-up in IPL 2020 edition.