After his stellar performance in the recent Test series against Australia, Rishabh Pant was compared to Adam Gilchrist and M.S. Dhoni for his batting prowess, wicketkeeping skills and on-field temperament. In conversation with Rishita Roy Chowdhury, the 21-year-old cricketer talks about how he managed to excel in all three formats of the game.
Q. How special was the recent Test series win against Australia for you? What were your expectations from the series?
A. When we started the series, we had, as a team, the goal of winning the match we had before us. We decided that no matter which situation presented itself, we’ll just try to win every single game. So the team was fully motivated. That’s the main thing: the whole team wanted to win the ongoing match. Our collective mindset was the same, we wanted to win the series and create history. I am glad we achieved that.
Q. Tests against Australia have long been regarded as one of the most challenging and prestigious platforms in the game. This was your first Australia series, and yet you made a record there by taking 20 catches in four games and scoring 159 not out in the Sydney Test. How did that feel?
A. It was an amazing feeling. I didn’t think about making or breaking records. It just happened because of my frame of mind, which was only directed towards contributing to the team’s victory no matter what. Be it my wicketkeeping or batting, my main focus was to deliver what the team expected from me. That’s the only thing I was trying to do over there. There are no individual goals in the game of cricket. The plan was just to play as a team and we worked really hard. Everyone was trying to give their 100%.
Q. When did you decide to take up cricket professionally?
A. My father always wanted me to become a cricketer. He played cricket even before I was born. I started playing the sport because he pushed me to do so. But it was my own interest that kept me going. When I played matches during my school days, people walked up to me and told me that my father was a better wicketkeeper and batsman than me. So I would hear a lot of stories like that. As a child, when I won Man of the Series awards, my father would sometimes visit the venues to present these trophies to me. He was the chief guest at a lot of these matches. That motivated me. So right from the beginning I knew that I wanted to make my career in the field of cricket.
Q. What kind of challenges did you face in the early phases of your career?
A. I was a kid when I decided to play cricket professionally. I was living in Haridwar then, and the place didn’t have the infrastructure or the facilities for proper training. If you wanted to play the sport professionally, you had to move to a city. Because of that, we had to shift to Delhi. I feel blessed that my family always supported me. It was a big deal. Imagine a small kid telling his parents that he wants to play cricket for the country… The family has to believe in him enough to be willing to make changes to their lives, so that the kid can follow his dream. I feel lucky to have had that. It’s been a long journey, but it has fared well for me.
Q. As a wicketkeeper, how difficult has it been for you to make your way up in international cricket? It’s not often that the slot for a wicketkeeper opens in the Indian cricket team.
A. When you play for the country, it’s always a challenge. It doesn’t matter which role you’re playing. This is because as a cricketer, there is a burden of expectations on you. But you should know how to control that pressure. It shouldn’t get to your head and affect your performance. As a player, I only think that. I never plan in terms of wicketkeeping or batting. I just know that whatever chances I get, I will just give my 100%. That’s the only thing I keep in my mind and focus on one match at a time. As a cricketer, everyone wants to play for the country, so I must have done something right in my life. I know how hard I have worked for this thing. I am glad that I got the opportunity so early in my life, and to be able to make use of that is one of the best things in my life right now.
Q. You are among the very few cricketers worldwide who have performed equally well in all three formats of the game, T20, ODI and Test. Do you change your style of playing according to the format?
A. I think cricket is all about the mindset. Every player should have his basics right. I have been working towards that. I have been practicing at a great cricket club with my coach Tarak Sinha Sir. He always tells me that it doesn’t matter which format you’re playing, your basics should not change. And that’s the only thing I am focusing on. If you have that clear, you can perform in any situation or format. I keep it simple. I don’t play the format, I play the situation. This is something I learned from Rahul Dravid Sir. The best you can do from your side is to go according to the situation.
Q. Who are the people you have learned from in your cricketing career?
A. There are so many. As a young cricketer, I try to learn from every coach and player I come across. I have deep admiration for Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, M.S. Dhoni. There are many people who have inspired me. Kiran More Sir always helps me with my wicketkeeping. When Parthiv Patel was in the team, he helped me out as well. Ramakrishnan Sridhar Sir, our fielding coach, has taught me a lot. As someone who is new to the team, I want to learn everything there is to learn. Every bit will help me in becoming a good cricketer.
Q. How has IPL affected the domestic cricket scenario in India according to you?
A. Everything has a positive and a negative side. It depends what you take from that. IPL has given confidence to youngsters. They can expand their careers and play where they want to and develop their skills. They learn to perform better. One good thing is that you play against international cricketers and you become familiar with their styles, which helps in other series. One also gets the confidence to play in front of huge crowds. By playing in IPL, one learns to deal with the pressure and not let it affect their performance. IPL is a positive thing for Indian cricket. And I speak from personal experience. It is helping everyone—as a player I certainly feel so.
Q. Having achieved so much at such a young age, how do you cope with performance pressure and anxiety?
A. Every player who is on the field feels pressure to win the game and perform their best. But I always keep things simple. As a player, you don’t have a choice but to keep the pressure aside and just perform. Being in the present and not worrying about the future are key. I live by that. If you get anxious about the outcome of the match, it will disturb your thinking. One thing at a time is the best way to move ahead in life.
Q. Can you talk about your banter with Tim Paine during the Australia series? How did that happen?
A. It was a hard Test series. We were there to win the series and both the sides were playing aggressively, which is good in sports. It’s quite natural to be hard on the other side. Somebody had to give it back to them, so I did it. All this is on the field. Once we get off the ground, everyone has a cordial relationship. We meet each other with gratitude after the match, but on the field, we are rivals. That’s what makes Test cricket special.
Q. With the Australia series now behind you, what’s coming next? What are your future plans?
A. Whenever I get an opportunity, I’ll try to make full use of it. Meanwhile, I will just keep practicing with my coach, Tarak Sinha Sir, to improve my game further. As players, we want to improve ourselves, every day, every hour. Till the time I play cricket, I’ll keep doing that. I am not focusing on what I am getting from cricket. I just want to play and enjoy the game.