Rishabh Pant issues huge warning to Bangladesh ahead of Test series: "We strive to play..."

India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant talked about the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh National Cricket Team, saying that they want to play with the same intensity. He also highlighted the importance of playing domestic cricket as an international cricketer.

The ongoing Duleep Trophy 2024 has marked Rishabh Pant's comeback to the red-ball cricket after more than one year. He is part of the India B squad, but he didn't have a great outing with the bat on his return as he managed just 7 runs off 10 balls, perishing while trying to hit a big shot.

Rishabh Pant played his last red-ball game for India against Bangladesh in December 2022. After that, he met with a tragic accident and then made a return earlier this year in white-ball cricket. He is now likely to be part of the Test series against the Bangladesh National Cricket Team, starting 19th September.

Bangladesh will be touring India for the two-match Test series. The Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side would be high on confidence as they recently defeated Pakistan in the two-match Test series by the margin of 2-0 and would want to do the same in India as well.

Rishabh Pant, while talking about his comeback, said that it's a great feeling making a comeback after the accident that he faced. He stressed playing domestic cricket is important as it allows players to share all the learnings and experiences from international cricket and also boosts the confidence of youngsters. Speaking to Jio Cinema, he explained:

"I think it is an amazing feeling for me, also because when I met with the accident two years ago, I used to always think about when I would be able to play for India again. In the last six months, I played IPL, and we also won the World Cup. It's a great feeling as I have always dreamt of winning the World Cup since I was a kid. Now again I am returning to red-ball cricket and will play my first match in the Duleep trophy almost after more than two years,"

"I think it is very important for us to play domestic cricket because, as a cricketer, match practice is always very important. Especially coming back to domestic cricket, the youngsters also learn a lot of things from us, they see you playing here, even after playing international cricket. There is a lot to give back to domestic cricket. It also allows us to share all the learnings and experiences from international cricket with our colleagues, especially with the young players and newcomers; it gives them a huge boost since we all have reached here from playing domestic cricket."

Regardless of the opposition, we strive to play with the same intensity - Rishabh Pant ahead of Bangladesh Tests

Rishabh Pant also talked about the Test series against Bangladesh National Cricket Team, saying that they want to focus on themselves and give their everything for the team. While talking about the challenges of playing international cricket, he explained:

"Asian countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka perform well in Asian conditions because they are accustomed to the wickets. However, as the Indian cricket team, we focus solely on our standards and how we can improve. Regardless of the opposition, we strive to play with the same intensity and give our hundred per cent every single day.

"I believe the pressure will always be there because in international cricket, you can't take any series lightly. The margin between winning and losing is very small, and nowadays, the gap between international teams isn't much either. However, we have to give our hundred percent regardless, and that mindset has worked well for me so far," he concluded.