How Indian batter Rishabh Pant mastered his defense
What's the story
Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant, who is now the most expensive player in the IPL (₹27 crore), has opened up about his early days.
He reminisced how his late coach Tarak Singh helped him develop his batting style.
"When I started playing after moving from Roorkee, I mostly played lofted shots--almost 80% of the time," he said on JioHotstar.
"I did not think about playing along the ground because I used to open the innings."
Early influences
Pant's father encouraged him to compete with older players
Pant revealed that his father was instrumental in his early cricketing journey.
"My father always said that playing against your age group is normal, but if you want to improve in cricket, you must compete with older players," he shared.
This encouragement saw Pant play in senior tournaments from a young age, even when he was 10 or 11 years old.
Coaching impact
Coach Singh emphasized mastering defense
Pant also spoke fondly of his late coach Tarak Singh, who stressed on mastering the defense.
"When I joined Tarak Sir, he used to get really angry," Pant recalled. "He had one rule--'You must learn defense first. If you master defense, you will master everything else.' He believed I already knew how to hit big shots, so he wanted me to learn how to defend."
Batting evolution
Pant's attacking style influenced by MS Dhoni
Pant's shift to an attacking approach was inspired by players like MS Dhoni.
"Earlier, quite a few players played these shots. I have seen old videos of Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni), and he, too, has played the lap shot," Pant explained.
He admitted that the game is transforming with different field placements and players adapting their styles accordingly.
Fitness routine
Gymnastics and fitness: Pant's secret weapon
Pant revealed how gymnastics has helped him with his fitness.
"I used to do gymnastics as a kid," he said. "Basu Sir, our Indian team trainer, once told me in 2018-19, 'Thank you to your gymnastics coach because what he taught you in childhood is still benefiting you today.' I kept practicing handsprings, and it has played a huge role in my fitness for sure."
Batting challenges
Pant on bat slipping out of his hands
Pant also tackled the issue of his bat slipping out of his hands.
"I think it (bat slipping out of my hands) mostly happens because I hold my bottom hand very lightly," he said.
"Sometimes, the shot I attempt may only have a 30-40% success rate, but depending on the match situation, I am willing to take that risk."
He stressed his focus is always on finding the boundary.
Future aspirations
Pant's dream to play for India
Pant concluded by sharing his dream of playing for India.
He said, "I believe that if your goal is to play for your country, everything else--including the IPL--will eventually fall into place."
Pant has emerged as India's match-winner in Test cricket. India have claimed several momentous wins with his match-winning knocks.
Overall, Pant has represented India in 43 Tests, 31 ODIs, and 76 T20Is so far. He was part of India's 2025 ICC Champions Trophy-winning squad.