Tarak Sinha spoke on Rishabh Pant’s rise, comparisons with MS Dhoni, and his India captaincy credentials in an exclusive chat with Cricketnext.com,
No domestic cricket coach in India has shaped over a dozen international cricketers than Tarak Sinha. One of the most underrated coaches in Indian cricket, Tarak Sinha’s latest contribution is playing a crucial role in the emergence of Rishabh Pant. Cricketnext.com spoke with the iconic Delhi club Sonnet’s head coach on Rishabh Pant’s journey so far in international cricket.
Tarak Sinha: Rishabh Pant Has Been Mentally Very Strong And His Willpower Is An Asset
Rishabh Pant scored 274 runs at an average of 68.50 in five innings for India against Australia. The keeper continued his form against England where he hit 270 runs at an average of 54.00. He had led India to victory at Brisbane and then his scintillating hundred against England at Motera impressed everyone. Rishabh Pant captained for the first time in IPL 2021. He scored 91,11, unbeaten 58, 8, and 101 in the 5 innings against England.
“Pant has always been mentally very strong. He came from Roorkee to Delhi and always wanted to be the best player he could. That determination on his face was always there to see. Cricket is all about your willpower.
“Even if you are lacking in skills or having some technical deficiency, if you have strong willpower you can overcome most challenges. I always felt that if Pant was given a good run, he would prove himself no matter what the format is,” Tarak Sinha opens up on Pant’s rise.
“As a coach, my job was always to hold a mirror to him. To tell him where he was lacking, what he needed to do, to help him figure out himself through my inputs. Yes, there was a fitness issue that was blown out of proportions. He couldn’t go out for training and there was just limited equipment.
“The homemade food by his mother may have played its part in him being slightly overweight. He lost his place in the team but came back strongly because of his willpower,” Tarak Sinha on motivating Pant before Australia tour 2020-21.
“A lesser player would have wilted under pressure with such comparison (with Dhoni) but as I keep saying that Pant’s willpower is his extraordinary asset and he kept the focus on improving his game. Pant was told that he is a one-dimensional stroke player and soon he added more strokes in his armory,” Tarak Sinha on Dhoni comparision overwhelming Pant.
“Undoubtedly, Pant is a game-changer and a great learner but why such obsession with Dhoni comparison all the time? You must acknowledge the fact that it also took a while for Dhoni to show the world what he was capable of. We need to be patient with Pant. His time will also come. It has just started,” Tarak Sinha on comparison with Dhoni.
Delhi Capitals had an impressive run under the young wicketkeeper-batsman and, in fact, were the table-toppers with six wins from eight matches when the T20 league was postponed. Rishabh Pant has already showcased his immense talent over the last couple of months in the longest format, which has also helped him stage a comeback in the white-ball T20I format. Rishabh Pant still has a long way to go before reaching the lofty heights of MS Dhoni.
Tarak Sinha Insists Rishabh Pant Still Consults Him As In The Past
Virat Kohli’s men will now travel to the UK for the WTC final against New Zealand and a five-Test series against England. Rishabh Pant, quite naturally, is touted to keep wickets unless some extraordinary circumstances arise. Another keeper Wriddhiman Saha has accepted it. In fact, the 36-year-old was magnanimous enough to concede that his almost certain successor Rishabh Pant merits the place.
“He needs to be humble. And, he is, as of now, that I can assure you. He has achieved so much in the last couple of months and yet he approached me for feedback on his game via video call recently. I told him a couple of things that he needed to work on. I didn’t want to tell him negative things during the IPL but he told me I always have that right and freedom to do so,” Sinha praised Pant.
“He still consults me as in the past. If you ask him today, he would tell you that whatever changes he needs to make in his batting, he does only after consulting me. It’s a big thing because he is now an established player,” on beng fortunate as Pant consults him.
“Once I got upset with him during one of the net sessions at my club Sonnet which is in South Delhi. He couldn’t sleep for the whole night and knocked on my door around 3:30 am! He said that he wanted to apologize because he could never see me being upset. That was touching as well as disturbing since he had to make that journey post-midnight,” Sinha on being harsh on him often.
File Photo: PTI
“It’s difficult to pinpoint just one moment. I particularly got impressed during a local league tournament in Delhi. It was an LB Shastri final match for our club and that was an important game since several high-profile players from North India used to participate in that tournament. Pant was just a rookie and played an astonishing knock,” Tarak Sinha on noticing spark first time
“Pant has to establish himself first more as a player. Pant needs to grow as a player and then in the future selectors can think about those things. He has done reasonably well for Delhi Capitals in IPL this year and has led the Delhi Ranji team to the final as well in the past,” Tarak Sinha on Pant as future India skipper.
India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has climbed to his career-best 6th ranking in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen. The southpaw had broken into the ten for the first time after hitting his maiden hundred on home soil in the last Test match against England in March.
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