London: Touted as a potential successor to Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps, Rishabh Pant said the former India captain has helped shape quite a few things in his still nascent career, ranging from his IPL contract to hand-head coordination while keeping.
“Whenever I needed any support from Mahi bhai, I used to ask him. From my IPL contract to my wicket-keeping, he’s advised me on everything,” the 20-year-old Pant was quoted as saying by ‘bcci.tv’.
“He’s always told me that when it comes to wicket-keeping, the hand-head coordination is important, the body balance can come into play later. That advice has helped me a lot,” said the southpaw.
Pant stated the positivity in the Indian team’s dressing room is also quite infectious. “Every time I am in it, there is one thing that has always stood out for me. It is the positivity and their supportive nature,” said the Delhi lad whose performance in the shorter format has earned him a place in the Test squad.
Asked about the challenge of switching formats from IPL to the ODI and four-day games in England, Pant said he does not stress over that.
“I reckon there isn’t too much difference, but it has got more to do with shot selection. In red ball cricket, with the field placements, you can look around; take your time, because you have five days to play. Whereas in limited overs cricket you have limited number of balls to play and score,” pointed out Pant
“I have so far enjoyed my preparation with the red ball cricket. The duke ball swings a lot when you’re in England and initially when I started playing here with India A, I realised that the swing will come a lot into play in these conditions,” he added.