India wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant believes the lure of Indian Premier League (IPL) is palpable, but young and budding cricketers should always prioritize playing for the country first than making IPL as top priority. The southpaw, who was part of the India's title winning Championship squad but didn't feature in a single game, made his international debut in 2017 and is currently in India's all-format squad.
Pant made his IPL debut in 2018, feels the T20 league is a great platform for budding players to showcase their skills, however first your goal should be to play for India, and then focus on playing in IPL.
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"Since childhood, I had only one dream—to play for India. I never even thought about playing in the IPL. I think today, people are more focused on the IPL. Of course, it's a great platform, but I believe that if your goal is to play for your country, everything else—including the IPL—will eventually fall into place," Pant told JioHotstar.
"If you have that bigger mindset, success will follow. I always believed that I would play for India one day, and God has been kind. At 18, I got the opportunity to make my debut, and I am grateful for that," said the 27-year-old.
Rishabh Pant decodes his trademark one-handed six
For the unversed, Pant was brought by LSG for a jaw-dropping amount of 27 Crores in the IPL 2025 mega auction. Later, CEO Sanjiv Goenka also announced the wicketkeeper batter as the skipper, after letting go of KL Rahul ahead of the mega auction. Pant, who can single-handedly take the game away from the opposition with his trademark one-handed six reveals the secret of why his bat often slips out of his hands when he attempts this outrageous shot.
"I think it mostly happens because I hold my bottom hand very lightly. I mainly try to use my bottom hand for support because, at times, it starts dominating. So, I focus on gripping my top hand tightly," said Pant.
"But when I overreach—especially when the ball is too wide or too short—it's not always in the ideal hitting zone. Sometimes, the shot I attempt may only have a 30-40% success rate, but depending on the match situation, I'm willing to take that risk. That's my mindset.
Also Read: ICC ODI Rankings: Rohit Sharma moves to third spot in the ICC Rankings after CT Final heroics
Speaking about LSG, they have got a strong squad with a nice blend of youth and experienced players in the mix. The side is loaded with power hitters like David Miller, Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram.
