'His stubbornness drove me nuts': R Sridhar reveals his initial struggles working with Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant is currently recovering well post his horrific car accident on December 30, 2022. While he will certainly be out of action for quite some time, the 25-year-old has made a mark in international cricket especially in the post-Covid era. The going hasn't been easy for Pant, who has often been compared to MS Dhoni, pointed out for his keeping skills and ordinary T20I record but the young keeper-batter has weathered all storms to be India's first-choice stumper across formats.
R Sridhar, India's former fielding coach, recently revealed how he was often annoyed by Pant's stubborness. In his book 'Coaching Beyond', Sridhar narrated how he struggled working with Pant initially before the youngster slowly and steadily followed his inputs to hone his keeping skills and improve overall.
"There were some inputs he was little reluctant to take. Because he trusted the game that had brought him to this level. Sometimes, I must confess, it drove me nuts, his stubbornness. But getting angry or frustrated wasn't going to help anyone. I had to find a way to get Rishabh to try and do different things, if only for him to figure out if those changes might actually be beneficial to his keeping," Sridhar wrote in his book.
Also read:'He ripped the team to shreds and....': R Sridhar narrates unheard tale of MS Dhoni losing his cool
"We spent a lot of time together at practice, often just him and me and I decided it was time for a little tough love. I stopped giving suggestions and inputs and would ignore his quizzical looks when the ball burst through his hands or he fumbled with his collection. Rishabh has the smarts so it didn't take him long to work out something wasn't quite right," Sridhar asserted.
"After a while he walked up to me and said 'Sir, you aren't saying anything. Please tell me what to do. Smiling inwardly, I said 'Maybe you should lead with your head and not with your hands'. Satisfied at having got me to shed my silence, he did precisely that. As the head led the way, so did the body and he was more assured in collecting the ball."
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At present, the Indian cricket fans are desperately hoping for Pant to recover and return to the Indian team as soon as possible. Given the horrific accident he suffered, it will take time before he returns to the 22-yard cricket strip. He is set to miss IPL 2023 and might also be ruled out of this year's ODI World Cup on home soil.