Rishabh Pant, India’s team wicketkeeper-batter, talked about his close relationship with ex-captain MS Dhoni recently. He mentioned how he could discuss things with Dhoni that he didn’t with anyone else.
In 2017, Pant joined the national scene towards the end of Dhoni’s global stint. Dhoni, often hailed as the greatest captain and wicketkeeper-batter India has seen, led the team to victory in three ICC competitions. Throughout his 15-year international career, Dhoni notched up more than 17,000 runs, delivering many essential, game-changing performances in a variety of formats.
Pant told Star Sports about his particular bond with Dhoni and mentioned a humorous event between the two.
“I always find it difficult to explain my relationship with him (MS Dhoni). I could share anything and everything with him. Even those things that I’d normally not share with anyone else.”
Rishabh Pant
He added:
“Once during training, I told him that I am able to keep flawlessly during IPL games but when it comes to international games, I fumble or make mistakes. I asked him for advice and he just told me casually to keep the same mentality like for an international game. As if it was that easy and I told him that ‘Bhaiyya, you are a legend, I’m just starting’ (laughs). I sometimes joke with him that, ‘you became a legend and left all the pressure on me, that’s unfair.”
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant’s promising career has been put on hold following an unfortunate vehicle accident in December 2022. The gloveman has been out of play since, but he is anticipated to return to captain the Delhi Capitals in the 2024 IPL Season.
“I used to go back in my room and cry” – Rishabh Pant on comparisons with MS Dhoni
Rishabh Pant also described the comparisons he experienced with MS Dhoni as unjust, stating that it made him cry in his room.
The left-handed batter, viewed as Dhoni’s successor, faced great scrutiny. His early career stumbles were especially under the microscope.
“I never understood this comparison (with Dhoni) because one player had barely played five games and the other had played 500 games. The comparison made no sense at all. I used to go back in my room and cry. I felt a lot of pressure and wondered how I’ll manage. Then I missed that stumping in Mohali and the crowd started to chant ‘Dhoni! Dhoni!’. It was tough.”
Rishabh Pant
In the second-to-last ODI of the five-game home series against Australia, an incident occurred in Mohali. Pant missed a chance to stump Ashton Turner. Turner then scored a game-winning 84* off just 43 balls.
Rishabh Pant, despite comparisons, has built a fantastic career, mainly in Test matches. With an average above 43 in 33 Tests, Pant played a significant role in India’s noteworthy 2020-21 tour series victory in Australia.