Rishabh Pant is making comeback to red-ball cricket after more than two years, as the Indian domestic season begins with the Duleep Trophy. Following a serious accident in 2022, Pant staged a remarkable comeback earlier this year in the IPL and went on to win the T20 World Cup with team India. Now, test cricket is the final step in completing his challenging journey back to the sport. Playing in the Duleep Trophy is the first move towards achieving this goal and the Delhi wicketkeeper-batsman is grateful to be back in action.
While talking to the broadcasters, Rishabh Pant stated that it is a great feeling because when he met with the accident, he used to think whether he would be able to play for the country ever again. He added that in the last six months, he played the IPL and also won the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. He talked about his return to the domestic cricket after more than 2 years and also said that it was his dream to win the World Cup since childhood.
Rishabh Pant, representing the India B team in the revamped tournament, got his chance to bat on Day 1. He started aggressively by hitting a full toss from Avesh Khan but his innings was cut short after a brilliant running catch by India A captain Shubman Gill off the bowling of Akash Deep. Pant’s brief stay at the crease lasted only ten balls and he scored seven runs.
Explaining the importance of domestic cricket, particularly the Duleep Trophy, Pant emphasized its value for match practice and its role in helping younger players learn from experienced cricketers.
Talking about the importance of playing in domestic cricket, Rishabh Pant says that it gives cricketers the much needed match practice and the youngsters also get to learn a lot from the international players. Pant is of the opinion that the international players get the opportunity to share their learnings with the youngsters and boosts their confidence as they all have reached the international level by playing in the domestic cricket.
India’s next international assignment is a two-match test series against Bangladesh, starting on September 19, marking the beginning of India’s international season. The Indian squad for the series is expected to be announced next week and Pant is likely to be included. He discussed preparations for the series, highlighting the importance of focusing on India’s own standards and performance, regardless of the opponent.
Rishabh Pant says that the Asian teams such Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh tend to play well in the Asian conditions because they are habitual of playing in these conditions but as far as the Indian team is concerned, their focus is on maintaining their standards and improving them. He adds that they play with the same intensity and try to give their hundred percent irrespective of the opposition.
He also says that the pressure is always there in the international cricket and no series can be taken lightly. Pant feels that nowadays there is not much difference between the international teams but their mindset of giving 100 percent always has helped them a lot.
Well, the Indian team will need to be very cautious against Bangladesh as recently they had whitewashed Pakistan in the 2-match test series.
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