Sachin Tendulkar calls Rishabh Pant a mix of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina

While Delhi Daredevils struggled to impose themselves on the league yet again, they did showcase one of the best Indian talents in the IPL this season in the shape of Rishabh Pant. The Delhi teenager was one of the few bright spots in a forgettable season for the Daredevils scoring 366 runs with the highest score of 97. His exceptional performances have won him many admirers this season with Tendulkar being the latest.  

“He is a special talent. To me, he looks like a combination of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina - the set up and the bat swing. (He is) wonderful to watch,” Tendulkar said before the IPL final.

Despite the demise of his father just before the first match of the tournament, Pant decided to join his team for the first match against Bangalore in the same week. The youngster waged a lone battle as he got his team close to the target with a brilliant 36-ball 57, which eventually turned out to be just short of the target. Tendulkar who went through a similar phase during the 1999 World Cup, praised Pant for his mental strength to compete despite the loss.

“Yes, it’s never easy to have a tragedy in your family and then turn up and focus on the game (on Rishabh’s bereavement on the eve of IPL). I can understand what he must have gone through, because the same happened with me in the 1999 World Cup. It takes time to overcome and is a loss that’s irreparable. Full marks to Rishabh and his family; in these times, you need your family’s support,” Tendulkar added. 

The current edition of the IPL has been a platform where youngsters have excelled with the likes of Nitish Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Basil Thampi, and Rahul Tripathi going toe-to-toe with international stars. However, the Indian legend singled out Tripathi comparing his bat swing to that of his former partner Virender Sehwag.

“Nitish Rana from our team has done really well. Batted brilliantly in the first half of the tournament. Have been watching Thampi and Siraj. Bumrah has been around for a while and performing consistently well. Tripathi has a beautiful bat swing and a cover drive of his the other day reminded me of Viru!,” Tendulkar concluded.