It Feels Good When Your Captain Backs You: Rishabh Pant

India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has said he feels more confident on the international stage because of the backing he receives from captain Virat Kohli.

Rishabh Pant has not looked back since impressing in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup. A stunning performance in the 2017 domestic season where he scored a triple century further enhanced his reputation. And the ongoing year has made it pretty clear that he is the man to replace MS Dhoni.

Pant had a sensational IPL season for the Delhi Daredevils this year. While his team finished at the bottom of the points table, the young wicketkeeper-batsman looked in red-hot form throughout the season.

Rishabh Pant ended as the second highest run-getter in the tournament with 684 runs from 14 games. It included five fifties and one century.

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He soon found a place in India A squad for the England tour where he impressed as well. It paved his way for Test call-up, and he made a big impression again. The southpaw got off the mark in Tests with a six before scoring a stunning century in the final Test. And he has now revealed how captain Virat Kohli boosts the youngsters’ confidence.

“As a youngster, it feels good when your captain backs you. It builds your confidence. I will look to capitalise on the opportunities I get in future after a Test ton in England,” he told IndiaTV.

“Virat Kohli shares his experiences with youngsters to boost their confidence. He tells us how we can overcome mistakes at an early stage,” Pant added.

After the century, Kohli had lavished praise on Pant.

“Pant showed a lot of grit and character. We have character in the team and we just need some experience to close out games. I was thinking when I was watching him (Pant), when you get into a zone and when you are not thinking about the result, things go your way. It was just a great preview of what is in store for him individually and for Indian cricket,” Kohli had said in the post-match presentation.

Recalling his maiden Test as well as international century, Pant said:

“I play according to the merit of the ball. It’s important to back your natural game but you have to keep the situation in mind too. As I scored a century in the last match, it came after 150-odd deliveries. You can’t play every ball aggressively.”

With the West Indies series coming up, Pant is gearing to make his game even more better.

“I try to improve myself in every department. Be it wicketkeeping or batting, one trains only to improve,” Pant said.

Pant is the lone specialist wicket keeper in the team for the West Indies series. The youngster will be keen to come up with some impressive performances to seal his spot for the tour of Australia later this year.

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