The growth of Rishabh Pant in Indian cricket has been nothing less than a phenomenon, for whom his power in the IPL catapulted him into the international arena. Having made his debut for India in the 2017 T20I series against the England team, he did not take long to make a name for himself with quite a few standout innings, especially in Test cricket. His knock at the Gabba in Brisbane last year will remain one of the highlights in recent cricketing memory. Yet, former fielding coach R Sridhar felt working with Pant was a challenge.
Sridhar, India’s fielding coach between 2014-2021, was there when Pant was first starting to find his feet in the Indian team. Remembering the days of the young wicketkeeper-batter, Sridhar had spoken about how dealing with Pant required a totally different approach to coaching. According to him, Pant was the one player for whom less said, the better, with a ‘less is more’ strategy from the coach perpetually bringing good results.
WATCH – Rory Burns Fumbles Easy Run-Out Chance In T20 Blast Quarter-Final Against Durham
“There’s a coaching theory which says you give players what they need until they start taking what you give. With someone like Rishabh, I realized that less guidance was more serving,” Sridhar said in an interview on ‘Anubhav Talks’. He explained that a player like Pant usually knows his game and too much information serves them poorly. “They are geniuses, they are champions,” R Sridhar said.
“It made a huge difference when I changed my ways halfway through his career,” R Sridhar further said. “When I made myself redundant, that’s when things clicked, and the next 18 months were just great fun. I’m so happy he’s back after his accident and that he is playing even better now. He’s wiser now.”
ALSO READ: Subramaniam Badrinath Confirms Role In GOAT Movie Amid MS Dhoni Cameo Speculations
After regaining his health following a near-death experience in a car accident in 2022, Pant made a return to cricket during the IPL in 2024, donning the Delhi Capitals’ colors. He went on and played key roles in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign-most notably against Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pant has now geared up for the Duleep Trophy, his first red-ball outing since returning to action.
