ENG vs IND 2025: 'I am not too focused' - Rishabh Pant on why bat slips off his hands while striking the ball

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is known to bring in a lot of flamboyance with his on-field presence, especially while batting. His entertaining brand of cricket not just sees the ball crossing the boundary lines with ease, but sometimes even his bat takes the aerial route by slipping while attempting a wily stroke on the leg side. The dynamic batter had another moment of the bat slipping off his hands during the Edgbaston Test.

During a recent chat post the second Test, Pant opened up on the incident and clarified right away that he doesn't know the reason he can't hold a firm grip on the bat while trying the range of shots that he has in his armour. To Pant, it is always about letting the bat fly in the air, and not think too much about the things that happen as a byproduct of scoring runs.

“For me, personally, I don't think about that. At the same time, when I am in the moment, it just happens to me, man. The moment happens, everything happens, I am not too focused on thinking how is it happening? It is just about letting it flow,” Pant told Sky Sports during an interaction alongside Dinesh Karthik.

Karthik then inquired Pant regarding his mindset while stepping onto the crease. He basically wanted to read the Haridwar-born's brain on the style of play he is going to adapt, while he is very fresh onto the wicket. The middle-order batter says he gets to watch a lot of deliveries before actually going in to bat, which allows him to make plans and prepare accordingly.

“Generally, when I am sitting out, I watch a few balls, make a generalized plan, and then see how the wicket is playing and all. While sitting outside, you know how the bowlers are bowling, how they are planning, and once you get a hold of that sitting outside, then obviously, playing out a few balls, get a feel out of the wicket, and then make a basic plan to work it around,” he added.

Pant has had an excellent run in the series so far. In the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, the star cricketer scored hundreds in both innings (134 and 117) to give India an edge with the bat. However, the hosts were able to win the match on the back of a brilliant 149 by Ben Duckett in the fourth innings. Pant, who is also the vice-captain of the Indian team, will look to contribute similar and produce fruitful results for the side in the remainder of the series.