Expect to represent India for the next 10 or 15 years: Rishabh Pant

There was a huge hype surrounding Rishabh Pant when he made his Test debut during the England tour last year. Pant was India’s best performer in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup and his performances in the domestic circuit and Indian Premier League further made people take note of him. Well, it would not be very much wrong to say that Pant has pretty much lived up to the lofty expectations so far.

If his century in the fifth Test against England at the Oval was not enough to prove his undeniable talent then his performance in Australia surely did. On a tour where even the likes of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane failed to deliver as per expectations, Pant stood out. He finished the Test series as the second highest run-scorer. The southpaw scored 350 including a stunning 159-run knock in Sydney as India won the series 2-1 to create history.

The recent performances have made one thing clear that Pant is going to be one of the most important players for India in the future. But achieving so much success at such a young age could make any youngster get carried away. However, Pant has his feet firmly rooted on the ground as he said he is not thinking too much about the future.

“I am focused on the present. Am not thinking much about the future right now. As a youngster, I want to keep improving every day. That is what I am looking forward to achieve. Every day when I get on to the field, I am learning from everyone in the team,” Pant told Sportstar.

When asked whether he was expecting himself to be that good during the series in Australia, he said: “I always expect big things from myself. The main thing that I normally do is to focus on the process. That is what is helping me in every situation.”

Long future for India:

While only time will tell how long Rishabh Pant serves Indian cricket, the wicketkeeper-batsman, seen as the worthy successor of the legendary MS Dhoni, is eyeing a long career. He said he is expecting to represent India for the next 10 to 15 years.

“I do expect to play for India for the next 10 or 15 years. But, as I said, I just focus on the process, fitness and work ethics, to ensure that I stay in the race for a long period of time. The key is performing well for the team. Personal achievements are good, but it is more important if you can see how well you can contribute to the team to make it better,” he added.

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