"Agar koi line cross kar raha hai, to main kyu sununga kisiki?" - When Rishabh Pant showed he had traits of Virat Kohli

Rishabh Pant is currently one of the most vocal wicketkeepers in world cricket. His one-liners from behind the stumps are a hit and have often drawn comparisons with former India skipper MS Dhoni.

Pant's banter with teammates and opposition players has also made headlines a few times, with his exchanges with former Australian captain Tim Paine during the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2018-19 standing out.

While his light-hearted banter has entertained fans, the youngster is not someone who gets bogged down when he is subjected to sledging. Pant likes to give back as good as he gets, a trait that is similar to former skipper Virat Kohli.

When asked during an interview on Sports Tak in 2019 whether sledging comes to him naturally or if he thinks about it, Pant stated:

"Achanak se hi hote hain. Mereko yeh hain ki agar mera koi line cross kar raha hain or mereko sledge kar raha hain, toh main kyu sununga kisiki? Kyunki main kisiko kuch bolta nahi hu, shareefon ke tarah khelta hu. Agar mereko koi pareshan kar raha hain, main bhi to usko pareshan karunga. (It comes suddenly. If someone is crossing the line and sledging, why should I listen? I don't tell anybody anything and play the game decently. But if someone is troubling me, I would trouble him as well)."

"Let’s get Rishabh Pant in" - Saba Karim backs wicketkeeper-batter to captain India in the future

Former cricketer Saba Karim, meanwhile, has backed young Rishabh Pant to lead India across all formats in the future. Pant, who is the captain of the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL, captained the national side in the five-match T20I series against South Africa earlier this year and fared well.

Speaking on SPORTS18 on Monday, Karim stated:

“Very early days! I feel it’s up to the selectors to first figure out whether they want to have one player as an all-format captain and if that is the case then you’re left with multiple options.

"Number one is KL Rahul because he plays all three formats. Number 2, hot on his heels is Rishabh Pant, who’s been exceptional in the past couple of seasons. Now he’s grown into an excellent white-ball player as well."

He added:

“So, you’re left with these two options. But there are so many other things to consider. Number one is for how long Rohit Sharma can continue given his injury woes. So, these things also have to be kept in mind. Are you looking at a young leader?

"If that’s the case, then let’s get Rishabh Pant in because he’s another player who’ll play all three formats in years to come. So, these are the choices which the selectors have to deal with."

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Rishabh Pant will next be seen in action during the upcoming Asia Cup 2022, which commences on August 27 in the UAE. India will begin their campaign against Pakistan on Sunday, August 28, in Dubai.