Star India batter Rishabh Pant noted that playing for the country should be prioritized over representing in the IPL. He added that playing for the nation was always his first goal.
Rishabh Pant suffered multiple injuries following a horrendous car accident in December 2022. He missed the game for nearly 18 months before returning to the IPL in 2024. He had a good campaign with the bat, which helped the keeper-batter earn a spot in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. The Rohit Sharma-led side won the tournament and Pant eventually made return to the Test set-up as well but when it came to ODIs, the 27-year-old is yet to crack the code.
Pant was part of India’s 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy but KL Rahul was preferred ahead of him. Despite the frustration of warming the bench, the Haridwar-born noted that playing for the nation is the main objective. He mentioned that many cricketers are prioritising IPL in recent times and missed domestic cricket for the same but Pant stated that even though it’s a great platform, one should aim to play for India.
“Since childhood, I had only one dream – to play for India. I never even thought about playing in the IPL. I think today, people are more focused on the IPL. Of course, it’s a great platform, but I believe that if your goal is to play for your country, everything else—including the IPL—will eventually fall into place,” Pant told JioHotstar.
“If you have that bigger mindset, success will follow. I always believed that I would play for India one day, and God has been kind. At 18, I got the opportunity to make my debut, and I am grateful for that,” he added.
After the Champions Trophy, Pant landed in India on March 10. He will soon join the Lucknow Super Giants camp for the upcoming edition of the IPL. He has also been named as the captain of the LSG team.