New Delhi: Rishabh Pant's journey in international cricket was as unexpected as his beating. He has always risen through the ranks while facing criticism for his extravagant play. Although doubts remain over his persistence, Bant became the youngest Indian captain in T20I as KL Rahul was disqualified from the T20I series against South Africa due to a back injury on Wednesday.
Calm and relaxed man, Pant showed off an intense look during alternate training at Firuzach Kotla on Wednesday, the day before the first T20I against South Africa. Working with match officials and fielding drills in the scorching sun, Pant was preparing for his big day. As he walked off the field and headed to the pre-match press conference, he said, “I am very happy this happened in Kotla. I wish Mr. Tarak (his childhood coach who passed away last November) had had this. We were there to see the moment.”
Pant's career really took off after the pandemic. They have spent most of the past two years riding the biosecurity bubble. When India's bubble ban was lifted, he took a leave of absence on Wednesday morning to visit his graduate Venkateswara College in south Delhi, where he had honed his skills in the sonnets club as a teenager. A few hours later he was informed that he would be the captain of the Indian team for the series.
"It feels great, even though it didn't come in good condition. The news came only an hour ago, so I'm addressing that too. I really want to thank the people who have been with me through thick and thin," Pant said, addressing the media. It is so."
Although he replaced regular captain Rohit Sharma, Bant's rise comes at a time when Dinesh Karthik is forcing another revival. One might remember Pant losing to Karthik initially in the 2019 World Cup Finals. Set to be the T20 World Cup five months from now, Karthik pushes her to the same spot again.
If Pant feels secure about his place on the T20 side, it's time. Head coach Rahul Dravid has focused on building a core team for the future. With Pant as captain and IPL-winning captain Hardik Pandya as backup, the message is that management is ready to continue investing in Pant.|
This was evident as Dravid was seen spending a lot of time with Pant while discussing game plans during team training over the past two days.
“It’s the best thing to have (Dravid) around. I worked with him during his under-19 days, with India and the IPL as well. So, there is a lot of experience there. There is a lot to learn from him, like how to act on the pitch, discipline, and game strategy.”
Pant doesn't walk here like a rookie captain. He's had the best and worst response in the past two years as captain of the Delhi Capitals. He said, "Captain DC will help me a lot." I am the one who learns from mistakes. He said, "When you keep doing the same thing over time, you get better and keep learning from it, and I think this will help me. I'm going to lift my chin and do my best."
You know it's full now. But he is aware of the team's big goals in the World Cup. The very cautious T20 hit has been banned in India for some time now. Pant promised that the change would be visible.
"As a team, we have thought about some of the goals that we want to achieve as a team. We are constantly working towards them. We are thinking about the World Cup. In the next few days, there will be a lot of changes." pant claimed.
When his first pressure as India captain was over, he moved into the center draw and engaged in long sessions of relentless hard-hitting. Look at the next few days? Can.
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