As the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 is nearing closer, the anticipation and excitement in the cricket fraternity are also picking up the pace. The BGT is just a few weeks away, and both teams have started their intense preparation for the five-match Test series. As the highly anticipated India series approaches, Australian captain Pat Cummins has begun the usual mind games. Cummins recently spoke about Rishabh Pant's influence in Test cricket, recalling how the dynamic wicketkeeper-batter wasn't India’s first-choice player during the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, a series of injuries gave Pant his opportunity, and his match-saving innings under pressure in the Sydney Test solidified his spot in the side. Also Read: Parthiv Patel Set To Join Gujarat Titans As Batting Mentor Ahead of IPL 2025 Interestingly, Cummins chose to bypass big names like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, instead calling Pant India's "X-factor," capable of swinging the game in their favor from the middle order. The Australian skipper also praised the 29-year-old's witty nature behind the stumps, admitting they never quite know which version of Pant will turn up on the day. During a show with Star Sports, Pat Cummins said: “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. And he's always got something to say behind the stumps: he’s very funny, makes me laugh.” In the past, not just Pat Cummins, but other Australian players like Nathan Lyon and Marnus Labuschagne have also named Rishabh Pant as the key player to look out for during the upcoming tour of Australia.