Before South Africa series, captain Rishabh Pant’s day out
It was only an hour ago that Rishabh Pant was told he would captain India in the five-match T20I series against South Africa. The first of which was to be played in the city where he shaped his cricket journey, his hometown, Delhi.
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Apart from the fact that this came at the cost of a colleague being ruled out due to injury, there couldn’t have been a more perfect beginning to Rishabh Pant’s India captaincy journey.
In the minutes leading up to BCCI making the news official, Pant, who already knew of it then, donned the keeping gloves with Hardik Pandya bowling on the side wicket. The newly-appointed skipper was then seen having a chat with India’s strength and conditioning coach, Soham Desai and quick exchanges with his to-be-announced deputy and head coach Rahul Dravid.Best of Express PremiumPremiumPremiumPremiumPremium
Within minutes of the BCCI making the news official, the newly appointed India skipper walked into a room full of journals with a big smile on his face. Who’d question that? This was a moment he had worked hard to earn.
“I haven’t been able to digest it yet,” said the 24-year-old.
PL 2022 PBKS vs DC Playing 11 Prediction 2022 Today Match: Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant in action. (File)
“I will try to make the most out of it. Thank you to all my well-wishers for supporting me in my journey through the thick and thin of my cricketing career. I will look to make it a base and keep improving and keep making my life better and better each and every day,” he added.
After an eight and a half minute long press conference, Pant again turned his attention to training. This time with the one that introduced him to the cricketing realm, the bat. As Pant padded up to face some throwdowns at the side wicket, his newly appointed deputy Hardik Pandya was just getting finished with his batting session.
There was a sense of occasion as Pant took his guard at the crease. Even though this was a practice session. There was nowhere near the crowd there’ll become Thursday. But with the hometown boy turned India captain batting, every eye at the Arun Jaitley Stadium was transfixed on him.
#INDvSA
Day two of #HardikPandya bowling in #TeamIndia‘s training session ahead of the first T20I.
Head coach #RahulDravid looks on and provides some inputs as well pic.twitter.com/hxfduexlMl
— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) June 8, 2022
In the 20-25 minutes he spent batting, Pant looked at his monstrous best, going only for the maximums. At one stage he hit, four of them in a row. First, over deep extra cover. Then straight down the ground. One between long-off and deep extra cover. And then, a lofted on-drive for six.
Rahul Dravid and Rishabh Pant. (File)
Having wrapped up his training session, the captain went straight to the trio of the vice-captain, head coach, and the batting coach who were already in a discussion near the main pitch.
Rahul Dravid greeted Pant with a signature coach pat on the shoulder. Earlier in the press conference, the 24-year-old had talked about what it meant for him to have his coach from his U19 days his side ahead of his national captaincy debut.
“I think it’s one of the best things,” he said.
“I was with him in the U19 days, U19 India, IPL, and then the India (senior) team also. There’s a lot to learn from him, how to conduct me on and off the field.”
After having a 15-20 minute discussion with the three, and the floodlights beaming down his face, Pant then decided to call it a day. Another evening under the lights awaits. Not just another evening though.
