Rishabh Pant believes youth is meant for relentless effort, not restraint, and says pushing one’s limits early in life lays the foundation for long-term success. Speaking at an event on Monday, the India wicketkeeper-batter underlined that his journey has been driven by a single obsession: wearing the India jersey and winning matches, with everything else treated as a by-product.

“In my mind, I only wanted to play for India, and that was the only dream — just to win matches for India,” Rishabh Pant told reporters, as quoted by PTI. The sentiment, deceptively simple, has governed his career choices and risk-taking on the field.

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Pant traced his sense of responsibility back to a painful childhood loss — the death of his father — an event that, he says, forced maturity early and taught him to carry responsibility with purpose. “Losing my father made me really strong,” he reflected, explaining how adversity shaped both his mindset and ambition.

He also singled out the COVID-19 pandemic as a turning point. Before the global pause, Pant admits he played with the carefree abandon of a typical youngster: fearless, present-focused and unburdened by long-term planning. The pandemic, however, demanded introspection and a more disciplined approach to training, fitness and career planning.

Rishabh Pant’s message to young youth is simple and uncompromising :

“Before that, just grind it out from bottom to top,” he said. “Everywhere you go, try to learn and something beautiful comes out of it.” [ With PTI inputs ] pic.twitter.com/omL0ICW7Mo

— Rupesh Kumar (@drona_17) January 20, 2026

On the perennial debate around work-life balance, Rishabh Pant struck a clear tone. While acknowledging its importance, he urged young professionals—especially athletes—not to prioritise comfort too early. “First you need to work hard, go crazy about your work, and there will be time in life when you can relax and chill back,” he advised, urging youngsters to exploit their natural capacity to recover from setbacks.

For Pant, youth is the prime window to experiment: to fail, adapt, learn and rebuild. He warned that perspectives inevitably shift with age, when security and planning take precedence.

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“Once you go to 35 or 45, you want a more secured thought process,” he said, urging younger players to absorb that reality later rather than sooner.

His message is unequivocal: grind from the bottom to the top, absorb lessons at every step, and let passion drive performance. Pant’s career — marked by audacity, setbacks and remarkable comebacks — stands as a practical blueprint for aspiring cricketers. He urged youngsters to seek mentorship and prioritise mental health, saying guidance and resilience matter as much as talent. Pant’s story is a reminder that clear focus, relentless work and self-care can coexist on the path to sporting greatness and discipline.