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Following a 14-month injury layoff, Rishabh Pant, the captain of the Delhi Capitals, spoke exclusively to JioCinema ahead of the TATA IPL 2024, which kicks off on March 22 live and exclusively on JioCinema.
He relieved some of his best TATA IPL knocks, the moment he learned that DC had bid Rs 1.9 crore for him at the 2016 auction, and what it was like to return to the game following his 2022 car accident.
When Delhi Capitals purchased him at auction in 2016 for a sum of Rs 1.9 crore: While we were playing the U-19 World Cup, there was anxiety around the sale.
We used to joke a lot over the auction. During the refreshments break, Sarfaraz Khan left the field and came back to tell me that I had been selected for a payment of Rs 1.9 crore.
I informed him that jokes like this are ineffective. However, it was a pleasant feeling that I discovered when we returned.
In the 2017 Indian Premier League, Sanju Samson made 97 off 43 balls against the Gujarat Lions (GL).
When I arrived at the crease, he asked me what the strategy was. I told him we should hit together.
However, I was upset about missing the 100. When Raina bhai (from GL) arrived, he assured me that the missed tons were unimportant.
I used to talk to him all the time and borrow bats from him. Since it would have been my first IPL century, I was upset. While I don’t mind milestones if I reach them, I don’t cry for them.
I have played a lot of cricket against Rashid Khan since the U-19 days, he said after hitting 128 off 63 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 IPL.
When he was brought into the offensive, I knew just how to counterattack him. I’ve always believed that I can put pressure on the other team if I can hit their top bowler.
Regarding the healing process: In the grand scheme of things, I had been walking with crutches until I no longer required them. After that, I started to walk, jog, and finally run.
Next is wicketkeeping, followed by batting. Though I don’t recall the exact dates, I do recall the moments. I cannot express how I felt after the accident when I held a bat for the first time. It was incredible.
Something causes you to get mesmerised. That was how it felt. Although I didn’t feel as though I was performing for the first time, I also didn’t feel as though I had played previously. There was a distinct kind of sensation and energy.
When asked if he feels under pressure to go back to Washington, DC, he said, “I am happy that I am alive.”
How can you possibly think about anything else if you are dead? Thus, it’s crucial to embrace these moments and go with the flow.
Regarding this Saturday’s TATA IPL 2024 opener versus Punjab Kings: I’m both anxious and excited.
I have conflicting emotions. I therefore don’t want my thoughts to start wandering too much. I want to make things easy.
Regarding his relationship with MS Dhoni: He is teaching me that face-to-face interactions differ from phone conversations.
The energy transfer is more significant. On a phone, that kind of relationship cannot be formed.
Regarding his handling of the injury: You do become frustrated on a voyage this length. We always have our eyes on the end goal when we travel. You ought to relish the trip.
How does the bat feel in your hands when you go out to practise? How does it feel to have the ball in your gloves? We are surrounded by positivity if we begin to enjoy these things.
