"Please call your gymnastics coach and thank him" - When India's strength and conditioning coach assumed Rishabh Pant to be a 'gymnast'
Former Indian strength and conditioning coach Shankar Basu recently spoke about how flexible and acrobatic star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has been ever since his early days in international cricket back in 2018.
Apart from being an incredibly explosive batter and a truly entertaining character, Pant has also been seen making different acrobatic moves either in the videos that he posts on Instagram or when he is on the field.
Speaking on the YouTube channel, 'BeerBiceps' last month, Basu recalled an incident when he misinterpreted Rishabh Pant as someone who had a personal gymnastics coach:
"I remember seeing Rishabh in Sri Lanka. He came to the Nidahas Trophy and before in the West Indies. In the Nidahas Trophy, I remember telling him that you know you're an extraordinary gymnast. Please call your gymnastics coach and thank him for what you are doing now.
"He was like, 'What?' He was flummoxed. He can do a kip-up, front flip, backflip. You must have seen it in television. And he has got that explosive ability because of that."
Shankar Basu on importance of gymnastics for youngsters like Rishabh Pant
Shankar Basu has been a household name in Indian cricket as he was the one who helped Virat Kohli transform into the fitness beast that he has been over the past decade.
Kohli has been pretty vocal about how fitness has helped him perform way better than expected and Basu has the same advice for any young athlete. He gave an example of how former Indian cricketer Sridharan Sriram's son is doing well after taking gymnastics seriously:
"I think he (Rishabh Pant) has done a lot of gymnastics in his formative years. Same thing with Sridharan Sriram's son. He wanted to start training. I said, 'Sriram, put him in gymnastics,' and apparently, he is playing very well now.
"Gymnastics play a major role in the development as an athlete. Not all of them will get the opportunity to do that, but if you are able to from a very young age, nothing like it."
Why do we fall, Rishabh?
Pant: Abhi dikhata hoon, ruko
#INDvENG #IndiaTaiyarHai #TeamIndia #AmdavadTaiyarChe https://t.co/Jr4Q9lCq7s
Rishabh Pant is just 24 years of age and has already achieved incredible success in his career across formats. If he continues to remain as acrobatic as he is now, he will probably rule the next decade of international cricket.