Almost 5 years ago, the Indian selectors thought of finding out a young wicketkeeper-batter. The purpose was to groom him in such a way that he could back MS Dhoni and when needed, can take the field in his absence. That was the time when Rishabh Pant burst into the scene and gradually became a household name.
Like every youngster, it was a dream come true moment for Pant when he played his first match in the India jersey, a T20I against England in Bengaluru, in 2017. From there on, he trained under the supervision of legendary MS Dhoni. The latter’s legacy is such that Pant often gets compared to him. But personally, the 24-year-old shares a great bond with the former Indian captain and is thankful for all the learnings he has gotten from him.
“Mahi bhai is like family. Our relationship is very good. I have learnt a lot of things from him in my cricketing journey. He always says [that I should] focus on processes and the controllable. That has really helped me. You take out the extra things from your mind. His family, too, is great. Sakshi bhabhi, [daughter] Ziva, uncle, aunty; they are such a loving family. I love spending time with him,” Pant told The Week in an interview.
Dhoni has a special liking for motorbikes and his collection is second to none in the cricketing circle. Asked if he discusses anything around cars and bikes with the legendary cricketer, Pant said,
“Right now, I do not have time to focus on anything other than cricket. Maybe 10 to 12 years down the line.”
Pant is currently leading the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The team has played two games so far and placed seventh on the points table with one win. They will face KL Rahul’s Lucknow Super Giant (LSG) on Thursday at DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai.
