Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant is known for his hard hitting skills, but due to the car accident he is away from cricket for more than a year.
During a recent interview with Star Sports, this young keeper said that the comparison between him and Dhoni puts him in a pressurized situation. Sometimes it feels like he cannot breathe. Pant became the full time keeper batsman after Dhoni made his exit from the team permanently.
Dhoni is known for brilliant keeping skills which is followed by many other keepers in the world. He is considered to be one of the World’s best keepers and India’s best keeper in the history. When Rishabh replaces him behind the stumps, he faced so many problems and said,
“I used to really feel very bad. I used to go back to my room and cry at 20-21 years of age. Under stress, I couldn't breathe. So much pressure, and I didn't know what to do. I missed a stumping in Mohali, and the crowd started to chant 'Dhoni Dhoni'.”
Recently Rishabh was seen sharing flight with his fav MS and said how is the bond between them. Also he revealed that he can share anything with him.
“I always find it difficult to explain my relationship with MS. There are some with whom you can talk freely. I discuss everything with MSD. I have learned so much from him. I discuss things with him that I wouldn't discuss with anybody else. That's the kind of relationship (I have) with him.”
After that he continued by saying that it is wrong for anyone to do comparison between anyone. It just does not justify the caliber one has.
“Why were people raising such questions to a youngster? Why are you comparing? There shouldn't be any comparison at all. Some have played five matches and the others have played 500. It's been such a long journey, so many ups and downs, so the comparison is not fair.”
He further stated how senior players helped him to calm the situation when he made his debut, especially Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni.
“At the start, I was very young, and there were a lot of senior players, a lot of them actually. Yuvraj Singh, MS were there, all seniors. It does take some time, but I didn't get the feeling of them being super seniors.They were very welcoming and made me very comfortable. They make every new player very comfortable. This is the culture of the Indian team.”
Currently Pant is in the process of his comeback. He is regularly seen doing his fitness and playing cricket with some local boys. During the 2024 IPL auction he was seen with his IPL franchise Delhi Capitals (DC) team members. It is also suggested that he might make his comeback in the 2024 IPL.