The 22-year-old Pant has been under intense scrutiny for his underwhelming performances in white-ball cricket but has got the firm backing of both skipper Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma.
India's prolific opener Rohit Sharma believes Mahendra Singh Dhoni is "one of a kind", playing down recent comparisons of his leadership style and composure with the two-time World Cup-winning captain.
So here is why India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is our player of the day!
He has slashed his price by half after retiring. Now his rates are in line with Amitabh Bachchan or Ayushmann Khurrana. In 2012 he had 22 endorsements, now he has 40!
It solidified Dhoni's legacy as a captain who achieved unparalleled success in ICC tournaments.
From Ivanka Trump to Deepika Padukone, everyone loved Rohit Bal's magnificent creations.
MS Dhoni's announcement came a day after he joined his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings for a camp ahead of its departure for UAE.
Irfan Pathan, who played under Dhoni as part of both the 2007 World Cup-winning team and the 2013 Champions Trophy-clinching side, said the years, as they went by, changed Dhoni the captain in more ways than one.
Former India wicketkeeper Kiran More, who trained Sushant Singh Rajput for the role of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the blockbuster biopic MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, said an "unbelievable journey" has been cut short by the young actor's shocking death. Rajput, 34, committed suicide at his Mumbai residence on Sunday morning.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the first skipper to record 100 wins in the history of Indian Premier League.
MS Dhoni's comeback and retirement has been a matter of intense speculation
Sushant Singh Rajput spent time with the Dhonis when he was prepping for the M S Dhoni role.
Dhoni was speaking to coaches from various sports during an interaction, which was organised before the country went into a lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dhoni and his wife Sakshi hosted the Indian team for a lavish evening in Jharkhand.
Rohit & Co. eye better batting show against USA
Territorial Army Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Singh Dhoni couldn't hide his excitement after five Rafale fighter jets were formally inducted into the Indian Air Force.
After the accident and the kind of rehabilitation that he had to go through, this knock will be right up there, says Rishabh Pant's coach Devender Sharma.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has left the question on Indian bowling combination for the World Cup beginning Saturday unanswered, saying the team will take a decision depending on the conditions.
Akash Chopra explained why India were reluctant to accept the use of DRS technology initially.
India limited overs cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that Olympic medals will remain elusive for the the country until the couch loving youth turn to outdoor sport. "We have to throw the kids out of the house to play sport. It will not only help them stay active but also help them in their academics," said Dhoni.
Irfan Pathan in his tweet cited that 'age is just a number' for some, while for some others it is time to retire.
MS Dhoni in his career usually batted lower down the order and was more of a finisher.
Lauding Mahendra Singh Dhoni's brave leadership, the legendary Kapil Dev felt it is the Indian captain's confidence in his players' ability that makes them believe they can retain the World Cup.
Rayudu, who has been part of CSK for four seasons now, said he would love to play for the team again and hoped to get picked by the franchise in the forthcoming auction.
Former India opener Gautam Gambhir on Monday said that in the absence of Suresh Raina, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni should bat higher up the order for Chennai Super Kings in this year's Indian Premier League.
D Gukesh admires the way charismatic former India skipper MS Dhoni and iconic tennis player Novak Djokovic
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's astute captaincy will be Chennai Super Kings' biggest weapon against a clinical Kolkata Knight Riders, whose troika of top-notch spinners promise to hold the aces in the high-octane Indian Premier League final in Dubai on Friday.
Former India pacer Chetan Sharma on Wednesday held captain Mahender Singh Dhoni's selection policy responsible for the team's early ouster from the ongoing ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.
India's limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will likely get a chance to play at least a couple of warm-up matches before the England ODI series starting in Pune on January 15, next year.
Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni turned the clock back with a batting masterclass as the old warhorses' twin tons powered India to a 15-run win over England in the second One-day International and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
He might be drawing comparisons with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel on Friday said nobody can quite match up to the former India captain and he would rather focus on carving his own niche in international cricket.
I am like everyone else just that I control my emotions better: Dhoni
Here is a look at likely retentions for some teams.
England stand-in skipper Jos Buttler says there were shades of 'great finisher' Mahendra Singh Dhoni in Sam Curran's valiant 95 not out in the third and final ODI, in Pune, on Sunday.
'Dhoni's jersey is number 7 and my jersey's number 3 is 73 together. On Saturday, when 73 years of India's independence was completed, we thought that there could be no better day to leave international cricket,' Raina was quoted as saying by Dainik Jagran on Monday.
Fans are speculating that Dhoni is going to retire
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has grown a reputation as a notorious hoarder of souvenir stumps and considering India's imperious form going into the World Twenty20, few would be surprised if he adds one more to his formidable collection on April 3.
Back-to-back one-day defeats in Perth and Brisbane have forced India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to rethink his strategy of opting to bat first against Australia, who have taken a 2-0 lead in the five-match series by chasing down 300-plus targets.
Shocked by an inexperienced Sri Lankan side on a green wicket in the first Twenty20 match, India would aim to regain its winning touch and keep the series alive.
