Rishabh Pant slams young cricketers for prioritizing IPL over India cap
Published - 11 Mar 2025, 05:19 PM | Updated - 11 Mar 2025, 11:43 PM
Table of Contents
Indian wicketkeeper-batter and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain Rishabh Pant has made a bold statement about modern-day cricketers, slamming them for being more focused on the glitz and glamour of the Indian Premier League (IPL) rather than playing for India.
Rishabh Pant has emphasized that the IPL is a great platform to showcase their talent, but the true success lies in representing the country in international cricket. He advised the youngsters to prioritize India selection, as it will eventually open the doors for everything, including the IPL.
Rishabh Pant slams young cricketers’ obsession with IPL over national duty
Reflecting on his own journey, Pant revealed that his only dream was to sport the India jersey from childhood, and the IPL was never his priority. The Indian wicketkeeper worked relentlessly to earn his spot on the Indian cricket team, and hard work paid off when he made his debut at just 18.
Notably, Pant made his IPL debut for the Delhi Daredevils against the Gujarat Lions in 2016, and then he made his India debut during the T20I series against England in 2017 at home.
I never thought about playing in the IPL: Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant said on JioHotstar, “Since childhood, I had only one dream: to play for India. I never even thought about playing in the IPL. I think today, people are more focused on the IPL. Of course, it’s a great platform, but I believe that if your goal is to play for your country, everything else, including the IPL, will eventually fall into place.”
The left-handed batter further noted, “If you have that bigger mindset, success will follow. I always believed that I would play for India one day, and God has been kind. At 18, I got the opportunity to make my debut, and I am grateful for that.”
Read Also: "It’s not fun, Sanjana!" - KL Rahul gives rude reply to Jasprit Bumrah’s wife
Rishabh Pant reveals why his bat fly out of his hands
Meanwhile, the LSG skipper is known for his fearless batting and signature one-handed sixes, often sending the bat flying out of his hands. Now, Pant revealed that this happens because he holds his bottom hand lightly, using it mostly for support.
Pant further explained, “I think it mostly happens because I hold my bottom hand very lightly. I mainly try to use my bottom hand for support because, at times, it starts dominating. So, I focus on gripping my top hand tightly.”
Pant declares to continue his aggressive style
The Indian stars also admitted that when he overreaches for wide or short balls, the shot isn’t always in the perfect hitting zone. Despite the risk, Pant wants to continue his aggressive and instinctive style of play based on the match situation.
He signed off by saying, “But when I overreach, especially when the ball is too wide or too short, it’s not always in the ideal hitting zone. Sometimes, the shot I attempt may only have a 30-40% success rate, but depending on the match situation, I’m willing to take that risk.”
Notably, Pant was recently part of India’s 2025 ICC Champions Trophy-winning squad. However, the star wicketkeeper didn’t get a single game as KL Rahul was preferred over the swashbuckling batter.
