IND vs AUS: Ricky Ponting warns Australia to beware of this Indian player, no mention of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has showered rich praise on the talented wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for his immense contribution to Indian cricket. The legendary batter also talked about Pant’s great achievements and resilience.

Ponting has described Pant as a "winner," saying the left-hander has already made a big impact in his short career. The 25-year-old star has already cemented his place in the Indian cricket team in all three formats after recovering from the several injuries that he sustained during his car crash in December 2022.

Rishabh Pant is a serious cricketer: Ricky Ponting

With India gearing up for a grueling Test tour of Australia, Pant, who was already a hero for his team in their past triumphs, will be once again the X-factor for the tourists to pull off a hat-trick of Test series wins in Australia. Notably, they will play a five-match Test series later this year.

Pantt is known for his playful nature both on and off the field, and even in the recent Duleep Trophy 2024 match, the wicketkeeper-batter was seen cracking some jokes with Kuldeep Yadav, but his spark hasn't waned off, as he already smashed a fifty in the tournament. It was his comeback game in the red-ball cricket.

Reacting to his character, the former Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach stressed that Pant has fun on the field, but that doesn't mean he is not serious about his cricketer. Furthermore, Ponting compared Pant with the legendary MS Dhoni in terms of their Test centuries and significant performances.

Ricky Ponting compares Rishabh Pant to MS Dhoni

Ricky Ponting was quoted as saying by Sky Sports: “We've all seen him play and heard him in the stump mic; he's an infectious character to have around the group. He loves his cricket; he's a winner; that's what he is. He doesn't just play to make a few runs and be out there for the fun of it.

He must have 4 or 5 Test hundreds already, and he's got about nine 90s as well. [MS] Dhoni played for 120 Tests (90) and made 3 or 4 hundreds (6); this is how good this guy (Pant) is. He's a serious cricketer.”

The former Australian captain pointed out how fantastically Pant can balance his entertaining personality with his serious approach to the game, and this quality sets him apart from others.

Ponting hails Pant's remarkable comeback after accident

Ricky Ponting is also impressed by Pant’s strength and mental toughness after the severe car accident. He said that there were difficulties in his path, but Pant’s determination to return to the game and form helped him to return as a champion player.

Ricky Ponting recalled when Pant was confident of his recovery and true to his confidence, the DC skipper played not only in the IPL 2024 as a wicketkeeper-batter but also played an important role in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.

Ricky Ponting signed off by saying, “It's a remarkable comeback. I didn't think he would play IPL 2024. But 12 months before, he said, 'Don't worry about me; I guarantee you I'll be right for the IPL.' We thought he'd be able to bat, and we might have to use him as a sub-player (impact player), but he kept every game, was one of our leading run-scorers, bats No. 3 in the T20 World Cup, is part of a World Cup-winning team, and is named in the Test squad now.”