"I could share anything and everything with him" - Rishabh Pant opens up on his bond with MS Dhoni
Team India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant recently opened up about his bond with former skipper MS Dhoni and how he could share things he wouldn't with anyone else.
Pant came into the national fray in 2017 during the fag end of Dhoni's international career. The latter is arguably India's most accomplished captain and wicketkeeper-batter, leading the side to three ICC titles. Dhoni has scored over 17,000 runs in his 15-year international career, with several match-winning knocks across formats.
Speaking to Star Sports, Pant revealed his special relationship with Dhoni and cited a hilarious incident between the duo.
"I always find it difficult to explain my relationship with him (MS Dhoni). I could share anything and everything with him. Even those things that I'd normally not share with anyone else," Pant said.
He added:
"Once during training, I told him that I am able to keep flawlessly during IPL games but when it comes to international games, I fumble or make mistakes. I asked him for advice and he just told me casually to keep the same mentality like for an international game. As if it was that easy and I told him that 'Bhaiyya, you are a legend, I'm just starting' (laughs). I sometimes joke with him that, 'you became a legend and left all the pressure on me, that's unfair."
Rishabh Pant's blossoming career has paused due to an unfortunate car accident he suffered in December 2022. The gloveman has been out of action since but is expected to return to lead the Delhi Capitals in the 2024 IPL season.
"I used to go back in my room and cry" - Rishabh Pant on comparisons with MS Dhoni
Rishabh Pant also labeled the comparisons he faced with MS Dhoni as unfair and spoke about how it made him cry in his room.
Seen as the heir apparent to Dhoni, the southpaw was heavily scrutinized for his performances, especially failures in the initial stages of his career.
"I never understood this comparison (with Dhoni) because one player had barely played five games and the other had played 500 games. The comparison made no sense at all. I used to go back in my room and cry. I felt a lot of pressure and wondered how I'll manage. Then I missed that stumping in Mohali and the crowd started to chant 'Dhoni! Dhoni!'. It was tough," said Pant.
The Mohali incident happened in the penultimate ODI of the five-match home series against Australia. Pant missed an easy stumping of Ashton Turner, and the batter ended up with a match-winning knock of 84* from 43 deliveries.
Despite the comparisons, Rishabh Pant has carved out an impressive career, especially in Test cricket. Pant averages over 43 in 33 Tests and was the cornerstone behind India's famous series win in Australia in the 2020-21 tour.