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Rishabh Pant Remembers His Childhood Coach After India's Champions Trophy Triumph

Poulomi Chakraborty

Rishabh Pant and Tarak Sinha - (Source:@Johns/X.com)Rishabh Pant and Tarak Sinha - (Source:@Johns/X.com)

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Over the years, Indian cricket has produced a number of wicketkeepers who dominated world cricket with their brilliance. Rishabh Pant is one of them. The stylish left-handed batter is known for his flexibility behind the stumps along with his power-hitting abilities.

Pant was a part of Team India’s Champions Trophy winning squad but didn’t feature in any match. But how did his journey begin? In a recent interaction, the wicketkeeper-batter shared how coach Tarak Sinha played a pivotal role in shaping his career.

Pant’s Father’s Role In Early Days

After MS Dhoni’s retirement, Team India found a gem in Rishabh Pant. Apart from showcasing his brilliance behind the stumps, he is known for his aggressive stroke play. In a recent interaction, he reflected on his early days and the pivotal role his father played in shaping his career.

“ When I started playing after moving from Roorkee, I mostly played lofted shots- almost 80 percent of the time. I did not think about playing on 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. 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,” he said.

His Late Coach’s Influence In His Career

Apart from his father, coach Tarak Singh played a crucial role in his career. He revealed that his late coach would often get angry whenever he unleashed his signature big shots.

“When I joined Tarak Sir, he used to get really angry. He had one rule--' You must learn defense first. If you master defence, you will master everything else.' He believed I already knew how to hit big shots, so he wanted me to learn how to defend.” he said.


“I used to keep an eye on him while batting. If he was watching, I would play proper defence, playing drives and textbook shots. But the moment I saw him looking away, I would go back to playing my natural attacking game,” he added.

Drawing Inspiration From MS Dhoni

Along with his coach and father, former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a crucial part of his career. In his career, Dhoni also used to play those kinds of brave shots. But the ratio was lesser than the modern-day cricket. But Pant is known for aggressive shot. The wicketkeeper-batter reflects on that.

“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 is necessary for their game, while others may not. At the end of the day, how you read the game determines how you play it.” Pant said.

As the IPL is raising its curtain on March 22. After getting released from Delhi Capitals, Pant is set to represent Lucknow Super Giants and lead the team in the upcoming season. On March 24, they will face DC in their inaugural match.