Rishabh Pant: I don't believe in luck, just hard work

Rishabh Pant exemplifies a new breed of Indian cricketers- aggressive, positive and shooting straight from the hip. But despite his performances, the wicketkeeper-batsman has come under criticism from time to time for his ‘reckless approach’.

Be it his tendency to get out at bad times or penchant for sledging, he has been criticised for it all. But he has handled criticism much the same way he handles good bowling- with a clean hit down the ground.

He says that making mistakes is part of his process of improvement. ““I take any criticism positively. Finishing matches is important. I will learn to do it consistently. You only learn from your experiences and mistakes,” he asserts.

And Rishabh says there is method in his madness and nobody can question his commitment. In an interview in 2018, he said, “As a cricketer, I am always trying to learn. I am 21, I am learning every single day. I always try to give my best.”

To his critics, he has just one message: give me time. “Things don’t change overnight. I am just 21. It’s difficult to think like a 30-year-old man. In due course, my mind will be stronger and there will be a lot of maturity. You need to give it time,” he said in an interview in 2019.

To people questioning his place in the side, he said in 2019, “I am not getting anything for free. I have worked hard and earned my place in the Indian cricket team. Nobody has gifted that to me.”

Many say he has been lucky to be given a long rope but Rishabh rubbishes that and chalks his success down to hard work and nothing else. “I don’t think about luck, I focus on working hard. If something is meant to happen, it will happen... but I don’t believe in luck,” he said in 2019.

He has also been criticised by many fans and experts for being too chirpy and vocal on the field. But Rishabh says that’s just who he is. “I love the banter actually. I won’t ever start anything (sledging) first, but if someone pushes my limit, I have to give it back. I can’t just listen to anyone and keep quiet,” he told us in 2019.

Comparisons with his predecessor – the great MS Dhoni – have been plenty. Rishabh said in 2017, “People make comparisons, but it depends on how I wish to take it. Log kuch bhi bolte hain, but main dhyan nahin deta. Uspe jitna dhyan do, utna game pe fark padta hai.”

But he does make a conscious effort to try and stay away from the comparisons, in his mind at least. “If I start thinking that I have to fill Dhoni’s shoes, it will get very difficult for me. I just try to keep it simple. I want to play the game to the best of my ability and learn from everyone around me, especially my seniors,” he says.