I don’t change my style based on the formats: Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant is a fairly uncomplicated player. Similar to former statesman Virender Sehwag, his batting philosophy is to put bat to ball with enough power one can muster and score runs. It is a very simple an effective strategy. Perhaps, this is why he is as successful as he is with the bat and is currently the highest run-getter when it comes to this year’s edition of the Ranji Trophy.

Pant also went on to add that he was making an attempt to prove his coach that he could bat at the Test level despite his natural aggression. His coach, Tarak Sinha, who has worked alongside many an Indian player in the past is one who believes in the fact that an international player is one who can play Test matches as well.

“I prefer one-day cricket but my sir [Sinha] doesn’t consider anyone an international player until he plays a Test,” Pant told ESPNcricinfo in Mumbai, during the match against Maharashtra at Wankhede Stadium. “For sir, I have to play Test cricket. I also want to play Tests. In our club, only Test players are called ‘country’ players by sir.”

Pant also went on to add that he did not change his style of play. “I don’t change my style of play just because of the format changes,” Pant said. “If I get a ball to hit, then I go after it and if it’s a ball to be left, I leave it. The field is usually spread out in one-days, and in first-class, it’s usually kept up, so there are more scoring opportunities. There are plenty of gaps in first-class – you only have to pick the right balls.”

Rishabh Pant went on to speak about the fact that he has come a long way since making it big on the international stage. “Initially my technique was horrible. He had said that if I learned the basics of the game, I would score very well. It wasn’t happening instantly because once I made these changes, I couldn’t score properly.

“He was only teaching me the basics, without which you cannot play. Like driving off the front foot; I didn’t know until then how to drive. If I had not come to Sonnet Club, then I don’t know where I would have been right now.”

“My aim will not change, I want to play for India. Blue jersey ka alag mazaa hai [The blue jersey has a different feel to it],” he says while recalling the Under-19 days. “You feel confident on your own after wearing that.”

Pravin Amre one of the best batting guru’s in India who has worked with the teenager at the Delhi Daredevils feels he still needs to work on his batting technique. “When I saw him in our camp in Palam (Delhi), we used to create match scenarios,” Pravin Amre, Delhi Daredevils’ assistant coach, recalled. “There he would achieve his targets effortlessly. His bat swing is very good and the power with which he hits is eye-catching. Rishabh did very well in our practice games and we had planned then to use him properly in the IPL.”

For Amre, if Pant keeps his focus going he can continue playing his natural game at the first-class level. “The biggest benefit he gives his [Ranji] team is that if you want an outright win in four days, he helps them score 300-400 quickly and gives them more time,” he said.

“If you play 90 overs in a day and score 200-250 only, it’s not enough for an outright win. But if you score 400-450, it’s so different. Which is what he does. It may be that sometimes he looks awkward while getting out, but when it’s his day, he is a game-changer.” said Amre .

Pant faced Bangladesh left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman in his sixth match for Daredevils. The second ball Pant faced from the Bangladeshi was offcutter. He smashed 26 runs off 13 balls from Mustafizur in that match, the most a batsman has scored against him in a T20.

“His fearless hitting [stands out], he doesn’t care who is at the other end to bowl, he clears the ground very easily. People are going to be scared of bowling to him in the future.” said Amre.