Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who has been training alongside veteran all-rounder Suresh Raina for more than a week at the latter’s training center in Ghaziabad, revealed how the Chennai Super Kings batsman had helped him in recent weeks. BCCI has yet to start the national training camp for Indian players, who have been on break for a few months due to the ongoing global pandemic.
But several cricketers, including Mohammed Shami, Cheteshwar Pujara, Pant, and Raina, have started training on their own after getting the necessary approvals. Rupha Ramani, on the official CSK handle, met Pant and Raina on Monday, and the Indian wicketkeeper explained how the training sessions were going for him.
“It’s good to start practicing now. Try to improve each day, using the time now. It has been wasted for 5-6 months. Hopefully, we will start playing cricket soon and do well for the country,” Pant said.
“It was a little difficult after a while because staying home makes you lazy. You have to do what you do. I have started to practice now. Sooner or later, you have to do it.” he added.
'Looking forward to play the IPL for Chennai again!' 😍 #ChinnaThala @ImRaina on donning the #yellove again and MSD Helicopters! #WhistlePodu 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/cB7JIXNz2y
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) July 20, 2020
Speaking of how Raina has helped him, Pant said, “It’s a good experience because with him (Raina) you can learn a lot. He’s a left-handed drummer. You have this brotherhood. He teaches me a lot of things, on and off the pitch. We discuss a lot of things, and it helps me. ”
Raina himself praised the young keeper. “He’s a top-notch guy. I want him to be who he is. I just want him to be the best hitter for his caliber,” said the left-hander.
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Kirit Azad believes Pant is an exceptional talent who needs to learn to keep a cool head. “He’s very impulsive. I think he can turn out to be a very good hitter than a keeper. And, if he keeps a cool head, the question is that he wants to hit every ball, you don’t play T20 cricket when you play a 50-overs game or a test match,” Azad told Sportskeeda in an interview.
