Recalling the initial struggles of Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant, Yuzvendra Chahal said that fans used to chant Mahendra Singh Dhoni's name to tease the southpaw.

Speaking to SGTV, the wrist-spinner said, “Everyone wanted him to be like Mahi bhai. The way MSD was behind the stumps. I remember if Pant would ever drop any catch or the DRS went wrong, then the whole ground would start shouting Mahi Mahi."

Pant was also benched for a while, after which he made a stunning comeback to seal his spot in the XI. Chahal gives the youngster full credit for battling through the tough times. “He made a superb comeback. He has improved a lot; he has shown a lot of maturity. His performance has been really good and I guess people should understand that when a sportsperson is on the ground, he tries his best, and nobody wants to perform badly. People should give a little respect to the player," he said.

Earlier this year, Rishabh Pant was backed by the legendary Sunil Gavaskar for his captaincy skills with the Delhi outfit. In a column for Sportstar, Gavaskar wrote, "The standout team Delhi Capitals under young Rishabh Pant. By the sixth game, one could see that he was getting tired of being asked about being captain. Every presenter at the post-game ceremony had the same question to him. What he showed was a spark that can become a roaring fire if allowed to burn naturally. Yes, he will make mistakes; which captain doesn’t?"

Calling Pant one for the future, the orignal little master wrote, "He is one for the future, no doubt about it. That’s because he has shown that talent can meet opportunity only when it walks hand in hand with temperament.”