Rishabh Pant asked bowlers to bowl fast at his body
Sanjay Bangar recalled how Rishabh Pant showed fearless batting traits in his early career.
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has revealed how Rishabh Pant displayed his fearless nature during his early days in cricket. Pant, who made his international debut in 2017, has grown from being a young talent to becoming an essential part of the Indian team. What separates him from other batters is his ability to play without fear, whether against pace or spin.
The wicketkeeper-batter has never hesitated to step out against fast bowlers and hit them straight over their heads. Recalling his early impressions of Pant, Bangar said he saw signs of that fearlessness in the nets.
“I had heard from Ashish Nehra that Rishabh is a very good player who’s going to progress very quickly. He is a naturally gifted batter. But, he’s also very fearless. I saw the first sign of his fearlessness in the nets itself. He used to tell the bowlers to bowl quickly and attack his body. Very few batters have had this mindset. He had just begun playing the IPL back then. So Nehra’s assessment was correct. After a long time, we’ve found a wicketkeeper who can bat in the top-5,” Sanjay Bangar told Doordarshan Sports.
Pant is currently recovering from a toe fracture he suffered during the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford in Manchester. He recently shared an update with his fans on Instagram, where he was seen wearing an ankle brace on his injured foot. Pant also posted a picture of his bandaged foot with the caption: “How many days in this?”
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Pant had an impressive run in the England series, finishing with 479 runs from four matches at an average of 68.42, including two centuries and three fifties. He also entered the record books by becoming only the second wicketkeeper-batter to score a century in each innings of a Test match, achieving the feat in the series opener at Headingley, Leeds.
Pant is expected to be out of action for several months and will be a big miss for India in the upcoming home Test season in October-November.
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Last Updated on September 7, 2025
