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regular-article-logo Tuesday, 21 January 2025

Focus on clear communication, Rishabh Pant makes priorities clear ahead of fresh IPL innings

The keeper-batter, who will be leading Lucknow Super Giants in this year's IPL after the franchise roped him in at a record Rs 27 crore during the last auction in Jeddah, wants to make sure everyone feels secure in the team environment just like the kind of "care" Rohit gives to his teammates

Our Special Correspondent Published 21.01.25, 11:26 AM
Rishabh Pant (extreme right) with the Lucknow Super Giants jersey alongside team principal owner Sanjiv Goenka (centre) and mentor Zaheer Khan in Calcutta on Monday. Pant will also be captaining the Super Giants in this year's IPL.

Rishabh Pant (extreme right) with the Lucknow Super Giants jersey alongside team principal owner Sanjiv Goenka (centre) and mentor Zaheer Khan in Calcutta on Monday. Pant will also be captaining the Super Giants in this year's IPL. Telegraph picture

Rohit Sharma is certainly going through a tough phase as a captain and cricketer. But he would be happy to hear that Rishabh Pant is trying to follow his leadership skills.

The keeper-batter, who will be leading Lucknow Super Giants in this year's IPL after the franchise roped him in at a record Rs 27 crore during the last auction in Jeddah, wants to make sure everyone feels secure in the team environment just like the kind of "care" Rohit gives to his teammates.

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"There are a lot of senior players who have experience in the game. The way the game is moving forward, there is a lot of learning from all the seniors, not just the captain. It's difficult to be very specific, but from Rohitbhai you get to learn how to care for a player because I feel the same as a captain when I lead a side," Pant said during his unveiling as the Super Giants captain on Monday. "If you give confidence and trust to a player, he will do things which you and the team might have only imagined. And that is the kind of ideology we would like to have."

Clear communication with his teammates and motivating them to give that "extra 20 to 30 per cent" will be among Pant's priorities in his new IPL team. "We'll back the players and give them the trust.

"We'll have clear communication and what kind of role we want them to play. Another important aspect is the never-say-die attitude. You fight till the last ball and that's something I always emphasise. Performance will come and go. But are you fighting enough? That's something you can control as an individual.

"Everyone gets tired. But eventually how far are you willing to take it (the load)? Are you willing to give that extra 20 to 30 per cent for the team even if your body is not aligned? That is the kind of character we want in the team and the culture we're looking to build forward," Pant stressed.

Set for a fresh guard, will there be any tweaks in Pant's approach? "I know it's a new beginning for me. New franchise, new owner and new setup, but the ideology of captaining a side doesn't change for me.

"As a cricketer, as a captain, you're always looking to improve and we'll add on a lot of things which I will discuss with the management. And then we'll see how we can take this forward in a better way."

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