Young Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant is no doubt a phenomenal talent, however, with direct comparisons to MS Dhoni, the Roorkee-born has been on the radar of fans, and at many occasions, the judgements have been passed regarding both his keeping and batting skills.
Pant had an excellent tour in Australia but struggled since the 2019 World Cup, and then he was replaced by KL Rahul. Despite all this, many senior cricketers have always backed Pant and his talent. Last year in December, former India captain Sourav Ganguly also picked Pant over Dhoni in his IPL Fantasy XI.
Pant came to limelight after his successful run in IPL 2018, and on Friday he shared the experience he earned during that season.
“That was a life-changing season for me. I needed that breakthrough which everyone needs,” Pant spoke during an Instagram live session organised by DC.
The 22-year-old revealed a piece of valuable advice he received from Ganguly, who was the mentor of Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2018.
“He told me ‘You need to give yourself some time and then you can do whatever you want to do’. He always wanted me to do well. He told me a few things, and I tried them also. It helped,” added Pant.
Pant also stated how Ricky Ponting, who was the coach of the Delhi-based franchise, helped him to play his natural game.
“He gives me a free hand. He says do whatever you want to do,” Pant added further.
The explosive keeper-batsman has so far played 54 IPL games, in which he has amassed 1736 runs with an unbelievable strike rate of 162.69 – highest amongst Indian players in the history of the cash-rich league. Pant has 11 half-centuries and one hundred to his name in IPL.
