'Rishabh Pant is a..' - Gulbadin Naib describes Rishab Pant's thought process during IPL

Afghanistan international Gulbadin Naib shared some amazing information about Rishabh Pant. Due to the Indian Premier League (IPL), overseas players got the chance to closely monitor top-notch Indian talents. Gulbadin was one of those foreign cricketers who shared a dressing room with top-tier Indian cricket talents. The Afghan all-rounder recently recalled his days with Rishabh Pant.

Naib, with pure admiration, praised the star keeper-batter. It is widely known that Afghanistan and Indian cricket shared a close bond with each other; Naid is no exception. When he was in Delhi Capitals (DC) with Rishabh Pant, he came to know more about Indians and Indian psychology.

Pant is often criticized for his reckless batting style, and as a captain, his IPL record is not something close to cheerable. But sometimes only matching results or numbers are not enough to explain someone's hard work. Rishabh Pant can be one of the prime examples of that. Naid said that off the field, the keeper-batter used to think a lot during their days with Delhi Capitals. Taking a step further, the Afghan star called Pant a mastermind.

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A mastermind: Gulbadin Naib

"Rishabh Pant is a mastermind. He thinks a lot. His approach is very different. I was with him at Delhi Capitals, right? When you stay close to Indians and watch movies and stuff, you get some idea of these things," Gulbadin Naib said. 

Naib was with DC during the 2024 Indian Premier League. It was the last season for Pant with the Delhi-based franchise before shifting his baggage to Lucknow Super Giants. Despite the severe car accident in 2022, Pant’s return to cricket in 2024 was nothing short of remarkable. Though he struggled to find his rhythm during the campaign. But, ahead of the next season (IPL 2025), Lucknow roped him in for an astonishing amount of INR 27 crores.