NEW DELHI: The exploits of

has left former West Indies captain

extremely pleased. Pant, who last night was named Emerging Player of the Tournament after Chennai Super Kings defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in the final of the

, scored 684 runs in 14 games even though

failed to qualify for the Playoffs and finished at the bottom of the points-table.

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Writing in his column for Monday's Times of India, Richards mentioned how highly impressed he was with Pant, along with a few others, who came up with notable performances and made heads turn in

2018.

"Delhi's Rishabh Pant has evolved as the new power hitter in the game and has also been smart with his batting when his team needed him. Each player plays a crucial role and some players have stood out in this edition. Rashid Khan, for instance, has not failed to impress along with KL Rahul and Ambati Rayudu who have been equally sensational. Narine, Raina and Russell, like every season, have done what they do best," Richards wrote.

"IPL 2018 was all about the young talent stepping up and leading from the front as and when their teams needed them to. K Gowtham and Shreyas Gopal have been fantastic with their all-round performances for the Royals and have helped them win games on numerous occasions. Siddarth Kaul has taken the words of his mentors and perfected his death over spells."

Richards credited CSK and Rajasthan Royals for living up to their reputation and making it to the final four of this season despite being away for two years. He was also high on praise for most captains, especially New Zealander Kane Williamson, who enjoyed a fantastic season, tallying 735 runs, including eight half-centuries, and took Sunrisers to the final for the second time.

"Everyone witnessed pulsating action in all facets of the game, all along. Eight teams fought hard on the pitch, and deservingly, the top two sides muscled their way to the final. While some of the big names in the game didn't live up to the expectations, there have been some exhilarating performances as well. Each and every moment of the season kept the fans on the edge of their seats," Richards pointed out.

"Rajasthan and Chennai didn't seem to miss much in the two years that they were away from the IPL; both teams came back with a mission and managed to finish in the top four. Not only have we got to see teams working really well together, but the skippers of each team have been fabulous. Kane Williamson, for example, has been a great leader and as an added bonus, has put the most runs on the board this season. Dinesh Karthik has done the same by stepping up when Kolkata needed him the most and not to forget about the young Shreyas Iyer, who brought back much-needed hope to the Delhi side."