Follow UsComparing Rishabh Pant and Mahendra Singh Dhoni as wicket-keepers and as captains is an unnecessary exercise as they are two different individuals, according to Delhi Capitals' new assistant coach Shane Watson.
"It is one of the things people, in general, want to compare apples with apples," Watson told Times of India in a media interaction. "Every individual is different. Every individual has got their own skill set and abilities. Rishabh and Dhoni are very different cricketers and they are different people. They both have got incredible skills," he added.
Watson, who played three seasons under Dhoni's captaincy at Chennai Super Kings, felt that Pant and Dhoni share the unique ability to stay calm while leading their sides.
"Rishabh is a leader. He is very cool, calm and collected. He is just like Dhoni in these qualities," Watson said.
Watson, who will be part of the dressing room alongside his former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, felt that Pant has the best person to guide him as a leader.
"Rishabh has certainly got the best person around him who can help to get the best out of him as a leader. So, in the end, what Rishabh can do is to be the best version of himself and let the public and media continue to compare him to the great MS Dhoni at their own peril. But all that matters for Rishabh and Delhi Capitals is that he brings the best version of himself as a player and leader," Watson said.
Watson was all praise for Pant who led DC to the back-to-back playoffs in the last two seasons.
"The skill that Rishabh Pant has - such a young man, at 24-years-old to do what he's been able to do in the infancy of his cricketing career, it seems he has been around for a long time," the former Australian allrounder said.
Watson, who also part of the title-winning Rajasthan Royals team in the inaugural edition in 2008, remembered the time he spent with spin legend Shane Warne who captained that team.
"The incredible skill that Shane Warne had was seeing what people's roles were and tapping into that role. For me, that was why Warne was an incredible leader because he knew how to tap into a player's best version. He believed in the players, knew their skill set and where they fit in. For me, that's why Rajasthan did so well in the first season," he said.