Pant credits ‘MS Bhai’ for his unconventional strokes

Mahi Bhai (MS Dhoni) was one of those players who inspired to play unconventional shots, says Rishabh Pant as he prepares to spearhead Lucknow Super Giants' challenge in the IPL commencing on March 22

HYDERABAD: Mahi Bhai (MS Dhoni) was one of those players who inspired to play unconventional shots, says Rishabh Pant, wicket-keeper batter and most expensive player in IPL history, as he prepares to spearhead Lucknow Super Giants’ challenge in the IPL commencing on March 22.

“Earlier, quite a few players played these shots. I have seen old videos of Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni), and he, too, has played the lap shot. But percentage-wise, I think they used to do it less. The game is changing now—field placements are different, and players are adapting. Some might feel it’s necessary for their game, while others may not. At the end of the day, how you read the game determines how you play it,” he explained in a chat with JioHotstar.

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“Since childhood, I had only one dream—to play for India. I never even thought about playing in the IPL. I think today, people are more focused on the IPL. Of course, it’s a great platform, but I believe that if your goal is to play for your country, everything else—including the IPL—will eventually fall into place,” the 27-year-old Pant said.

“If you have that bigger mindset, success will follow. I always believed that I would play for India one day, and God has been kind. At 18, I got the opportunity to make my debut, and I am grateful for that,” said Pant, who was signed for a record Rs 27 crore deal by LSG.

On his flexibility and acrobatic style, Pant said he used to be a gymnast as a kid. “My gymnastics coach always told me that it would come in handy in life. Basu Sir, our Indian team trainer, once told me in 2018-19,” he said.

“I think it mostly happens because I hold my bottom hand very lightly. I mainly try to use my bottom hand for support because, at times, it starts dominating. So, I focus on gripping my top hand tightly. But when I overreach—especially when the ball is too wide or too short—it’s not always in the ideal hitting zone,” Pant said about his bat slipping off his hands regularly.

“When I started playing after moving from Roorkee, I mostly played lofted shots—almost 80% of the time. I didn’t think about playing along the ground because I used to open the innings. My father always said that playing against your age group is normal, but if you want to improve in cricket, you must compete with older players,” Pant recalled.

“So, from a young age, he pushed me to participate in senior tournaments. Even when I was 10 or 11, I played in open tournaments. When I joined Tarak Sir, he used to get really angry. He had one rule—‘You must learn defence first. If you master defense, you’ll master everything else” was his advice.

“Tarak Sir believed I already knew how to hit big shots, so he wanted me to learn how to defend. I used to keep an eye on him while batting. If he was watching, I’d play proper defense, playing drives and textbook shots. But the moment I saw him looking away, I would go back to playing my natural attacking game,” Pant concluded.