Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 11 (ANI): Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant used to mostly play lofted shots as an opener and was encouraged by late coach Tarak Singh to 'master his defence'.

Pant, who recently won the ICC Champions Trophy with India and will be in action for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 has spoken fondly about the role of Singh in his cricketing career.

The most expensive IPL player ever at Rs 27 crores, will be captaining the team which will kickstart its campaign against Delhi Capitals (DC) at Visakhapatnam from March 24 onwards.

Speaking on JioHotstar, Pant talked about Tarak's role in shaping his defence and how his father used to encourage him to play against senior players.

'When I started playing after moving from Roorkee, I mostly played lofted shots--almost 80 per cent of the time. I did not think about playing along the ground because I used to open the innings. My father always said that playing against your age group is normal, but if you want to improve in cricket, you must compete with older players. So, from a young age, he pushed me to participate in senior tournaments. Even when I was 10 or 11, I played in open tournaments,' recalled Pant.

'When I joined Tarak Sir, he used to get really angry. He had one rule--'You must learn defense first. If you master defence, you will master everything else.' He believed I already knew how to hit big shots, so he wanted me to learn how to defend. I used to keep an eye on him while batting. If he was watching, I would play proper defence, playing drives and textbook shots. But the moment I saw him looking away, I would go back to playing my natural attacking game,' he added.

On what made him play attacking shots, Pant said that when he was growing up, quite a few players, particularly Indian legend MS Dhoni used to play such unconventional shots, such as the 'lap shot'.

'Earlier, quite a few players played these shots. I have seen old videos of Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni), and he, too, has played the lap shot. But percentage-wise, I think they used to do it less. The game is changing now--field placements are different, and players are adapting. Some might feel it is necessary for their game, while others may not. At the end of the day, how you read the game determines how you play it,' he added.

Pant also talked about how gymnastics has played a crucial role in his fitness.

'I used to do gymnastics as a kid. My gymnastics coach always told me that it would come in handy in life. Basu Sir, our Indian team trainer, once told me in 2018-19, 'Thank you to your gymnastics coach because what he taught you in childhood is still benefiting you today.' I kept practicing handsprings, and it has played a huge role in my fitness for sure,' he added.

The wicketkeeper-batter also talked about how his bat slips out of his hands so many times, which has often made a hilarious sight to behold on the field. Pant said that it happens because he holds his bottom hand lightly and focuses on using his top hand to grip the bat.

'I think it (bat slipping out of his hands) mostly happens because I hold my bottom hand very lightly. I mainly try to use my bottom hand for support because, at times, it starts dominating. So, I focus on gripping my top hand tightly. But when I overreach--especially when the ball is too wide or too short--it is not always in the ideal hitting zone,' he said.

'Sometimes, the shot I attempt may only have a 30-40 per cent success rate, but depending on the match situation, I am willing to take that risk. That is my mindset. When I take that chance and overreach, I need to do something to maintain balance. At times, it may look like I am throwing the bat, but in reality, I am just trying to make the most of that delivery. If my bat slips, if it is not in my hand, or even if it hits my head--my only focus at that moment is finding the boundary. That is my thought process,' he added.

Pant said that his dream was always to play for India and even though people are heavily focused on IPL in recent years, it is just a 'great platform'.

'I believe that if your goal is to play for your country, everything else--including the IPL--will eventually fall into place. If you have that bigger mindset, success will follow. I always believed that I would play for India one day, and God has been kind. At 18, I got the opportunity to make my debut, and I am grateful for that,' he concluded.

Pant has represented Delhi Capitals (DC) for his entire IPL career since 2016, scoring 3,284 runs in 110 matches at an average of 35.31, with a century and 18 fifties. He was appointed as the team's captain in 2021 and led them to playoffs in the same season. (ANI)