India's explosive wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is known for his risky approach, be it T20I, ODIs or the Test format. Pant is often criticised for his shot selection but it is an approach that has worked for him so far. At times, Pant has managed to pull off monstrous hits despite his bottom hand coming off the bat. He did not get to showcase these shots in the recently-concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as Axar Patel was slotted at no.5 and KL Rahul played the role of wicketkeeper and finisher well. Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Captain opened up on his 'high risk, high reward' shots.
"I think it mostly happens because I hold my bottom hand very lightly. I mainly try to use my bottom hand for support because, at times, it starts dominating. So, I focus on gripping my top hand tightly," Pant told JioHotstar.
"But when I overreach—especially when the ball is too wide or too short—it’s not always in the ideal hitting zone. Sometimes, the shot I attempt may only have a 30-40% success rate, but depending on the match situation, I’m willing to take that risk. That’s my mindset.
"When I take that chance and overreach, I need to do something to maintain balance. At times, it may look like I’m throwing the bat, but in reality, I’m just trying to make the most of that delivery. If my bat slips, if it's not in my hand, or even if it hits my head—my only focus at that moment is finding the boundary."
Young cricketers' focus should be international cricket instead of IPL
Pant also talked about budding cricketers and why they should aim to play for the country instead of the IPL. He recalled making his international debut at the age of 18 against England in 2017.
"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 said.
"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," the 27-year-old added.
Pant will be going up against his former franchise Delhi Capitals (DC) in LSG's opening clash of the IPL 2025 in Visakhapatnam.