I turned to Rahul Dravid and asked ‘who is this kid?’ – Sam Billings recalls first impressions of Rishabh Pant

India’s wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant has come off age in the last couple of months. Pant didn’t have a great IPL 2020 while playing for Delhi Capitals but he was able to turn the tables in the Test series against Australia and England.

The left-hander scored a blistering knock of 97 runs and almost took India to an emphatic win in the Sydney Test match against Australia.

Subsequently, Pant scored a match-winning unbeaten knock of 89 runs in the historic Brisbane Test and helped the team win the memorable contest. Pant top-scored for the visitors on the Tour Down Under as he amassed 274 runs in three Test matches.

The southpaw continued his sublime form against England as he scored a whirlwind knock of 101 runs in the fourth Test match against England. Pant ended the series with 270 runs as he once again batted at the top of his game.

Meanwhile, England’s wicket-keeper batsman Sam Billings recalled the first meeting with Rishabh Pant when he saw him in the nets while smacking gun fast bowlers like Nathan Coulter-Nile, Kagiso Rabada, and Chris Morris. Billings revealed that he asked former Indian skipper Rahul Dravid about Pant, who impressed him with his pyrotechnics. Billings was part of the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) set-up in 2016.

“Pant I played with him in the two years when I was at Delhi and I turned to Rahul Dravid and asked: ‘who is this kid?’,” Billings told ESPNCricinfo. “He was smacking Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Morris, Rabada everywhere and in this open net. And I was thinking ‘this is unbelievable, and that year he lit up and yeah, so it’s been great to see him evolve as a cricketer and be on the same team as he again will be great.”

Pant didn’t have a great season for Delhi in IPL 2016 as he could only amass 198 runs. The left-hander scored 366 runs in 14 matches in IPL 2017 but he announced himself at the IPL in 2018 when he smashed 684 runs at an average of 52.61.

Pant had come under the scanner for his inconsistent performance however he has been able to turn the tables in the last four months. Meanwhile, Billings will team up with Pant as he brought by Delhi Capitals for INR 2 crores in IPL 2021 auction.

The IPL will begin from April 9 as MI will face RCB in the tournament’s curtain-raiser at Chepauk Stadium, Chennai.