3 Olympic sports Rishabh Pant would have been good at if he wasn't a cricketer
With the Olympics 2024 in full swing, it's interesting to ponder how Rishabh Pant would have fitted into the events. The swashbuckling southpaw is an explosive batter and a more than capable wicketkeeper.
However, Pant is also quite a chirpy character on the field, and some of his mannerisms while playing the game may make one feel that he could be good at multiple sports other than cricket alone.
On that note, let's take a look at three Olympic sports that Rishabh Pant would have been good at if he wasn't a cricketer:
#1 Artistic gymnastics
Rishabh Pant has shown some of his backflips on the field while getting up from the turf and straightaway many could think that he could have done well in gymnastics. Pant had also done a bit of gymnastics in his formative years, helping him get the flexibility.
The flexibility in his muscles was also one of the main reasons why Pant could have a miraculous quick recovery from the horrific car accident in December 2022. Who knows, he would have possibly won India some medals had he taken gymnastics as a serious career option.
#2 Javelin throw
Neeraj Chopra has won laurels for the country in the javelin throw event with yet another medal, this time a silver at the Paris Olympics 2024. However, Rishabh Pant could also have managed to build a career for himself in javelin throw given how he often loses control of his bat.
We have seen Pant try to swing hard to play his big shots and often lose control of his bat with the latter flying high in the air and landing at a considerable distance. This can't help but make one think that what if Pant took a full-fledged run-up and threw the javelin as far as he could? It would have been an intriguing sight.
#3 Shot put
Rishabh Pant is quite a wristy player and an Olympic sport that needs strong wrists is shot put. Just like in the example of the javelin throw where Pant loses control of his bat, the shot put could be another sport Rishabh Pant could have mastered.
Athletes need to build momentum and throw the weighted ball as far as they can. Pant certainly has the muscle and the strong wrists needed to get a fair bit of distance on his throw.