Rishabh Pant, the famous Indian wicket-keeper, believes that while the Indian Premier League (IPL) is exciting, young cricketers should always aim to play for their country first. Pant, who was part of India’s Champions Trophy winning team but didn’t get to play, made his international debut in 2017.
“When I was a kid, my only dream was to play for India. I never thought about the IPL. Now, everyone is focusing more on it. The IPL is great, but if you want to play for your country, everything else, including the IPL, will come later,” Pant shared in an interview with JioHotstar.
He is grateful for his chance to play for India at just 18 years old. Pant is known for his exciting style of play, even hitting a one-handed six at times. He explained why his bat sometimes slips from his hands. “I hold my bottom hand lightly to keep it from taking control. I grip my top hand tightly. But when I might reach too far—like if the ball is too wide—I’m willing to take risks, even if it’s a 30-40% chance to succeed. In that moment, my goal is just to hit the ball as far as I can,” he explained.
Pant also mentioned that doing gymnastics as a kid helped him in cricket. “My gymnastics coach always said it would be useful. Our fitness trainer once thanked him, saying what I learned still helps me today,” Pant said. He continues to practice and believes it has greatly improved his fitness for cricket.
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