Rishabh Pant's told that the coach used to get angry due to hitting big shots in the nets

India's wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is loved all over the world for his different style of play and the art of hitting sixes at will. He has just returned to the country with the Champions Trophy with Team India and is being congratulated from all over the world. Pant was also a part of the Team India squad, where India defeated South Africa in the final and won the T20 World Cup title just 8 months ago. But due to the presence of KL Rahul, he had to warm the bench in all the matches in the Champions Trophy. As soon as he returned to the country, Pant made a big revelation and disclosed how his defense became strong.

Pant, who was a part of India's Champions Trophy-winning squad, did not get a chance to play even a match in India's title-winning Champions Trophy campaign as KL Rahul was given preference over him. Sharing an anecdote from his cricketing life, Pant revealed how his coach would react to his aggressive batting style in the nets.

Pant said, "When I started playing after coming from Roorkee, I mostly played lofted shots. I didn't think of playing along the ground as I used to open the innings. My father always used to say that it is normal to play against your age group, but if you want to improve in cricket, you should compete with the older players. So, from a young age, he motivated me to participate in senior tournaments. Even when I was 10 or 11 years old, I played open tournaments." He said, "When I joined Tarak sir, he used to get very angry. He had a rule, you should learn defense first. If you master defense, you will master everything else.’ He believed that I already knew how to hit the big shots, so he wanted me to learn to defend. I used to keep an eye on him while I was batting. If he was watching, I would play proper defense, drive, and play textbook shots. But as soon as I saw him look away, I would start playing my natural aggressive game.”

Pant said, “I used to do gymnastics as a child. My gymnastics coach always told me that it will come in handy in life. Our Indian team trainer Basu sir once told me in 2018-19, ‘Say thanks to your gymnastics coach, because what he taught you in childhood is still useful to you.’ I continued to practice hand springs and it has definitely played a huge role in my fitness.” Pant will lead Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League 2025 season. He was signed by the franchise for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore in last year’s mega auction.