As the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 approaches, Australian captain Pat Cummins singled out Rishabh Pant as a key player for India. He referred to Pant as India's "X-factor" in the middle order, highlighting the wicketkeeper-batter’s ability to turn the game around with his unpredictable and explosive batting style.

Cummins reflected on the last Border-Gavaskar series, where India claimed a famous 2-1 victory in Australia. Pant's match-winning 89* in the final Test at the Gabba helped India chase down a daunting target of 328 and secure the series.

The Australian skipper acknowledged Pant's impact, noting that playing against him brings an exciting challenge due to his unpredictability at the crease.

“Rishabh had a great series here in Australia last time. He’s always a bit of that X-factor in the middle order. You never quite know what you're going to get, which is exciting, even as the opposition,” Cummins stated. He also appreciated Pant's humorous personality behind the stumps, which often lightens up the game. “And he's always got something to say behind the stumps—he’s very funny, and makes me laugh.

When asked about India’s rising stars, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, Cummins admitted that while he’s faced Gill before, he hasn’t had much exposure to Jaiswal yet. “I’ve played a little bit against Shubman. Haven’t seen a lot of Jaiswal, just a bit in the IPL,” he said. However, he acknowledged the talent of both youngsters, stating that Australia will be keeping a close watch on them as the series draws nearer.