In a heartfelt gesture, flamboyant Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishab Pant was requested to sign the team jersey by a random fan at the airport prior to India's departure to the UK for a five-match Test series against England. At the time of sharing his autograph, Pant's mood was very light. The fan was situated at some distance away from Pant. 

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The fan tossed the Indian jersey to Pant along with a pen to obtain his autograph. The 27-year-old showed no signs of hesitation and gleefully accepted the request from the fan. The jersey was promptly signed and passed back to the fan who had queued up along with several others to get a departing glimpse of the Indian team.

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The road ahead for India and Rishab Pant 

India have a grueling WTC Test cycle ahead of them. Following a painful drubbing at the hands of the Black Caps at home and Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India's form in the longest format has been somewhat shaky. Moreover, their Test record in England is in shambles to say the least, as they have not won a single series since 2007. However, they did manage to level the series 2-2 last time around when they toured England in 2021-22. 

But India have gone through a significant overhaul in their Test lineup prior to the series. For the first time in a while, India will be without the services of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two of India's most prolific run-getters in red-ball cricket. Shubman Gill is set to lead India in whites for the first time, with Rishab Pant named as his deputy. 

As rightly pointed out by Ajit Agarkar in a recent press conference, Rishab is considered one of the best batters for India across all formats. His attacking instinct in the longest format gives the team an edge over its opposition. The newly-named vice-captain of India has notched up some memorable performances in England in his prior tours, amassing 556 runs in 17 innings at an average of 32.71. His overall runs tally stands at 2,948 runs (43 Tests), featuring six tons and 15 half-centuries. Being one of the most influential figures in the lineup, Pant has the experience and the competitive edge to pose a serious threat to the English side.