'Rohit Bhaiya Often Jokes, Rish-ball Banayenge Hum': Rishabh Pant Expresses His Fondness for Bazball

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant recalled the deadly road accident he survived last year and how his life changed after that. The 26-year-old was on his way to his hometown in Uttarakhand to meet his family when he dozed off and lost control of his car. His car crashed into the median divider on the road and he suffered multiple serious injuries.

He underwent initial treatment at a Dehradun hospital and was later airlifted to Mumbai where he was under the care of a specialist consultant brought in by the BCCI. After getting discharged from the hospital, he moved to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to do his rehabilitation.

Speaking with Star Sports, Pant said it was hard for him to keep himself away from cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 turned out to be stressful for him. The Delhi Capitals have had an underwhelming season and being the captain, he was unable to detach himself from the team.

“I tried not to watch cricket a lot. I realized that what coaches say is true. ‘It’s tough to watch cricket from off the field.  IPL was on and Delhi was playing. Itna mazaa nahi aaya. I felt we could do things differently. I was having my own ideas,” Pant told Star Sports.

“I was discussing some strategies with them but I realized I’m on the outside. When people are on the inside, there is a difference. When I’m inside, I can control things. There are so many things going on in my mind. But you can say anything when you are just watching the game from outside.

“People who were actually playing and involved – the coach or the captain – had a different thought process. So it would have created confusion. Nobody would get the advantage. Unless they ask me for my opinion I would be happy to give it but if it’s going on, then I should not interfere,” he added.

Once the IPL started bothering him, he decided to see less cricket. But he enjoyed watching the Ashes 2023, held in England and had his say on the ‘Bazball’.

Pant said he likes the way Ben Stokes & Co have been playing the longest format of the game and revealed that India captain Rohit Sharma has often told him that they will begin ‘Rish-ball’.