If Pant’s performance with the gloves in the first match of the Duleep Trophy was anything to go by, then the selectors should erase all their doubts. Pant was not only acrobatic and energetic behind the stumps but also actively involved in strategy-making.

Abhimanyu Easwaran was the designated India B captain but it would not be wrong to say that Pant was a leadership figure in the field. On Day 3 of the match against India A at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Pant gave a pep talk to the entire team being the lead speaker in the huddle right after they had gotten an early breakthrough that of Riyan Parag.

He also seemed to be suggesting the lines and the seam position Navdeep Saini should be bowling in the next over by pointing to the seam of the ball. And guess what? In the last ball of that over, Saini bowled a cross-seam delivery that hurried onto Dhurv Jurel and rapped on his pad before he could bat his down.

The umpire had no doubts in mind before raising the finer. Jurel did send it upstairs but to no avail. It was three reds. The India B cricketers celebrate but if someone deserved credit apart from Saini for that wicket, it was Pant.

‘Doesn’t matter who is captain, Pant will always be a leader’

“It doesn’t matter who is the captain. Rishabh Pant is always a leader in the field. The chat he had in the break… He suggested a few things to Saini and looks like it has worked,: said former India opener WV Raman, who was in the commentary box at that time.

Pant, who had taken a brilliant catch, diving to his left late on Day 2 to dismiss Mayan Agarwal off Saini’s bowling, grabbed another sharp catch on Saturday morning. This time the victim was Riyan Parag. He didn’t need to dive but the way he covered the ground quickly and made the catch look easy was a clear giveaway of his improved fitness.