His first year as Lucknow SuperGiants captain was unprofitable with the bat and modestly successful as captain, but Rishabh Pant promised “fun” and “joy” in his second season. Spotting a warm smile, he said in an interview on Jio Hotstar: “I think I am in a good space, physically and mentally.”
Since the Test series against South Africa last year, he has been barely in the mainstream. He spent much of the time training with former cricketer Yuvraj Singh to revive his white-ball batting. He says he has learned from the failings of the past. “All the seniors I speak to tell me that in cricket, you can’t take it lightly even for a day. Today could be your day, but tomorrow it might not be, and that could change again the day after. So, just keep working hard. Decision-making and handling situations are important, but consistently working on yourself to improve, even when things are going your way, is important,” he said.
At times, he turned philosophical. “I believe there are only two scenarios in life, either you’re doing good or you’re doing okay, there is nothing called bad. A lot of times, you tend not to appreciate your journey, where you come from, and how hard you have worked to get where you are. At the same time, don’t take it for granted.”
“I like to work on myself every day, and I enjoy that, because you have to spend time with yourself to keep improving. As long as you are playing cricket, that matters,” he added.
His message to his teammates has been to not stress too much about the league and careers. “If you carry too much stress and don’t enjoy yourself, sometimes you won’t be able to give your best. You don’t want to treat it as work. I say this a lot, as kids, why did we play cricket? Yes, there is a lot at stake, a lot to lose, and the stakes will keep getting higher, but you shouldn’t stop enjoying the game and having fun,” he explained, hoping to put off the horrid season that was 2025, where LSG finished seventh, behind him.
“I think everyone is fun-loving these days because the environment is already so stressful. Everyone wants to enjoy each other’s company, you can feel that emotion, the love, the enjoyment. I think that is something that seems to be missing these days, and if players bring that back, they will be a lot happier.”
Pant has the firm faith of his coach, Justin Langer too. “”Pant will be ready to go. He is training at the moment. We’ve got a camp going on. He is firing. Champions do not stay out for long. His last game in IPL 2025 showed how brilliant he can be. So, that’s our expectation from him this year,” Justin Langer told the media on the sidelines of the LSG camp.
