India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has stated that former skipper MS Dhoni is his mentor and he is trying to learn from him. Pant is still taking baby steps at the International level and he is getting compared with the great MS Dhoni. There is no doubt that the comparison is baseless as Dhoni has achieved everything in his career whereas Pant has just started playing for India.
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Pant has huge shoes to fill in but he is taking one game at a time. It is not easy to take the pressure to be the next Dhoni and the Delhi wicket-keeper batsman wants to follow the process. The southpaw has had a good start to his career and he would like to continue the momentum.
Pant is not focussed on the comparison with Dhoni.
“I do think about the comparison with Dhoni sometimes, but it’s too difficult. If I am learning from him, I can’t possibly think that I can be in his league overnight,” Pant said while talking to Bombay Times.
Rishabh Pant added that he is trying his best to learn from MS Dhoni. Dhoni has given his inputs to Pant which has helped the youngster in shaping his game. Pant stated that keeping calm in pressure situations is the most important trait to learn from the master.
Pant also stated that he has learnt a lot from Dhoni and worked with him on his batting and wicket-keeping. “I am just trying to learn from him. I consider him my mentor. He has taught me so many things — be it how to work on my batting or mind-set before I go to bat, and most importantly, keeping calm in pressure situations,” Pant said.
In fact, Pant believes if he will think to fill in the big shoes of MS Dhoni at a tender age of 21 years, it is going to get more difficult for him. Thus, he wants to bring his best to the table with all the skills he possesses.
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“At 21, if I start thinking that I have to fill Dhoni’s shoes, it will get very difficult for me. I just try to keep it simple. I want to play the game to the best of my ability and learn from everyone around me, especially my seniors,” he further added.
India will next play against South Africa in the three-match T20I series.