We don’t even think we’re competing with each other: Ishan Kishan plays down rivalry with Rishabh Pant
Team India star Ishan Kishan plays down rivalry with Rishabh Pant
Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant are not only two swashbuckling batters for Team India but the duo also are capable wicketkeepers. Kishan and Pant go a long way back. The former was Pant's captain in the 2016 U-19 World Cup, in Bangladesh.
The two cricketers were part of India's top-order in the U-19 showpiece event. While Pant now bats down the order for the national side, switching roles from a middle-order batter to a finisher, Ishan remains a top-order batter -- for India and his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians (MI). As both players have similar skillsets, people often brand them as rivals. However, Kishan played down all such claims and feels there is no thought of competition between the two.
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Speaking to theTimes of India, Kishan said,"Oh yes, he’s [Rishabh Pant] a very good friend. Whenever both of us are around, you’ll find us hanging out a lot with each other. We just keep watching movies whenever we find the time. We also talk a lot about cricket with each other about the game, what could’ve been done differently. I speak my mind with him, and he does the same. Never once has it crossed my mind that I want his place and I can assure you, that’s been the case with him too. And most importantly, when we are in the middle of our cricket routines, we don’t even think we’re competing with each other."
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Both Kishan and Pant were part of India's three-match T20I series versus West Indies at home. While Pant was given a bio-bubble break ahead of the third and final encounter, Kishan featured in all three games as an opener. He will now gear up for India's three T20Is versus Sri Lanka whereas Pant will skip the white-ball series versus the Islanders and is expected to return for the two-match Test series, starting on March 04.