'Will always love and miss you' - Rishabh Pant pens emotional note for his father

Young wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant took to Instagram on Sunday (April 3) and paid an emotional tribute to his late father, who breathed his last in 2017. Four years later, in 2021, the southpaw’s childhood coach, Tarak Sinha, passed away after battling lung cancer. As the duo had played an instrumental role in Pant’s rise to the top, their demise has left a void in the young cricketer’s life. Pant admitted the same in a recent interview.

Meanwhile, April 5 will mark five years since Pant lost his father, who had suffered a cardiac arrest. While Pant went back to his home town Roorkee to perform the last rites, he came back on time for Delhi Daredevils’ (now Delhi Capitals) opening fixture of IPL 2017 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Notably, the wicketkeeper-batter even slammed a 33-ball half-century in that game.

While Pant’s gutsy knock earned applauds back then, he was battling an emotional battle from within. Meanwhile, the 24-year-old, in his Instagram post, expressed gratitude towards his father for supporting him throughout his journey.

I know dad will continue to protect me: Rishabh Pant

“He loved me for who I was and accepted me for who I was striving to become. Dads are strong for a reason. Their strength gives us a sense of protection. Now that you are in heaven dad, I know you will continue to protect me. Thanks for being my dad. I will always love and miss you until we meet again,” wrote the southpaw on his Instagram page.

 

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A post shared by Rishabh Pant (@rishabpant)

Meanwhile, Pant, ahead of IPL 2022, also said that his coach was his second father and played a vital role in his rise. “I wanted to come back and meet him (chokes). I really miss my father. When my father left me, I was playing cricket. Tarak sir was like my second father. When he left us, I was again busy playing. These people have taken me where I stand today,” the southpaw was quoted as saying by Times of India.