IND vs SA | Rishabh Pant opens up on accidental captaincy

India’s newfound captain Rishabh Pant opened up on his new role as captain after KL Rahul’s injurious exit from the home series against South Africa. While the dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman said that he is happy to take the job, the cricketer admitted he’d like it if the same would have come under “better circumstances”.

A day before the first between India vs South Africa T20I, Pant attended a pre-match press conference organised by the BCCI. When asked about how he was feeling after becoming Team India’s captain, the 24-year-old said:

“I think it’s a very good feeling. Didn’t came under very good circumstances, but at the same time, I am feeling happy. I would like to thank BCCI for giving me this opportunity to lead the Indian side. I will try to make the most of it, but first of all, thank you to all my well-wishers throughout my journey for supporting me in my cricketing career”.

Albeit, Pant was not the only Indian player who received a sudden promotion before the South African series. His teammate Hardik Pandya was appointed as India’s vice-captain on the backdrop of a successful IPL 2022 campaign as a leader for newcomers Gujarat Titans.

The wicketkeeper-batsman praised Pandya and said that he will be looking to grab much positives and try to learn from the maverick all-rounder.

About the team’s objectives ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia, Pant said:

“I think as a team, we have thought about certain goals we want to achieve as a team, and we are continuously working on them. Because in the end, we are thinking of the T20 World Cup, so we are preparing for that. So in the coming days, you will see there will be a lot of changes and the way we play cricket.”

When asked about how the team management will be giving enough playing time to the entire squadron, he said,

“We have discussed that as a team, as management, we will give as many opportunities to players. That’s the thing we can do. But having a large squad like us, it will be difficult to give everyone the same amount of playing time. So we will discuss as a team and get to know sooner or later.”

New captain praises coach Rahul Dravid

Rishabh Pant was all praises for Team India legend and coach Rahul Dravid. Interestingly, the Delhi-based cricketer has been associated with the former Indian captain since his Under-19 playing days. Speaking on working with Dravid for Team India as a captain this time,

“It’s one of the best things I would say because I worked with him in U19 days as well as in Indian team and in IPL also. So, there is a lot of experience of working with him, and he is already a legendary cricketer, so I have don’t have to introduce him to anyone. There is a lot of learning from him, like discipline and how to conduct myself on and off the field, learning the game tactics. There is a lot to learn from him,” the skipper concluded.