How is a child like in a candy store? Wide-eyed, excited for everything he/she is witnessing, trying to absorb everything they can at first glance. That was Rishabh Pant like when he was walking out for the toss with the legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni, in his captaincy debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Delhi Capitals.

Pant, who has always looked up to Dhoni as a wicket-keeper, batsman and overall cricketer, had a surreal feeling to be captaining an IPL side and in the first game, he is up against his role model.

Asked if it was a childhood fanboy moment for him going out for the toss with Dhoni at the post-match presentation, Pant said, “Yes, it was actually a special moment for me, captaining the first match in IPL and the toss is against MS [Dhoni]. I have learned a lot from him.

“If I have any problem, I go to him, he is my go-to man. So, it’s a good feeling,” Pant added.

“MS Dhoni is my go-to man,” @RishabhPant17 #VIVOIPL | @msdhoni pic.twitter.com/DBZ9F3j5Tx

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 10, 2021

Pant had a great start to his captaincy career in the IPL as the Delhi Capitals started their 2021 campaign with a fantastic victory as they chased down 189 runs in just 18.4 overs owing to a 138-run opening partnership between Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, which laid the foundation for them overpowering the CSK side and beating them pretty comfortably in the end.