Team India’s wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant felt current head coach Gautam Gambhir is very strict about winning and maintaining an aggressive approach as well. Notably, Gambhir replaced Rahul Dravid as India’s head coach after India’s successful 2024 T20 World Cup title win. However, Pant was part of the Indian side for Gambhir’s first stint, which started with India recording a 3-0 series win in the Sri Lanka T20Is and a shocking 0-2 loss to the Lankans in the three-match ODI series as well.

Speaking to Jio Cinema ahead of the 2024 Duleep Trophy opener, Pant said, “Gauti bhai is more aggressive, he is very one-sided about the fact that we have to win. But you need to find the right balance, That’s the best part about international cricket, you keep on improving and finding the balance.”

“I feel Rahul bhai was very balanced as a human being and as a coach. For us, there were good moments and bad moments as a cricket team. In the journey of cricket, there are positives and negatives. And it depends on the individuals who are in charge of whether to focus on positives or negatives,” he further added.

However, playing red-ball cricket for the first time since his near-death accident at the end of 2022, Pant had a rough start as well.
Pant, playing for India B, was dismissed for a 10-ball 7 in the first innings on Day 1 against India A as well.

“Asian countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka perform well in Asian conditions because they are accustomed to the wickets. As the Indian cricket team, we focus solely on our own standards and how we can improve. Regardless of the opposition, we strive to play with the same intensity and give our 100 percent every single day,” concluded Rishabh Pant.