Rishabh Pant emphasizes the importance of playing domestic cricket in Duleep Trophy 2024

New Delhi: Rishabh Pant, the wicketkeeper-batter of the Indian cricket team, stressed the significance of top cricketers actively participating in domestic cricket as the new season commenced with the Duleep Trophy on Thursday.

Pant, playing for India B in the Duleep Trophy 2024, expressed his excitement about returning to red-ball cricket after nearly two years, with his last Test appearance being in December 2022 against Bangladesh.

“I think it is an amazing feeling for me, also because when I met with the accident two years ago, I used to always think about when I will be able to play for India again. In the last six months, I played IPL, and we also won the World Cup. It’s a great feeling as I had always dreamt of winning the World Cup, since I was a kid. Now again I am returning tored-balll cricket and will play my first match in Duleep trophy almost after more than two years,” Pant told JioCinema.

He further explained the importance of playing domestic cricket, specifically the Duleep trophy. “I think it is very important for us to play domestic cricket because as a cricketer match practice is always very important. Especially coming back to domestic cricket, the youngsters also learn a lot of things from us, they see you playing here, even after playing international cricket. There is a lot to give back to domestic cricket.

“It also gives us the opportunity to share all the learnings and experiences from international cricket with our colleagues, especially with the young players and newcomers; it gives them a huge boost since we all have reached here from playing domestic cricket,” the wicket-keeper batter said.

The 26-year-old batter, aiming for a Test comeback in the upcoming two-match series against Bangladesh later this month, mentioned that players are focused on continuous improvement, noting that the margins between teams have become very narrow.

“Asian countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka perform well in Asian conditions because they are accustomed to the wickets. However, as the Indian cricket team, we focus solely on our own standards and how we can improve. Regardless of the opposition, we strive to play with the same intensity and give our hundred percent every single day,” Pant said.

“I believe the pressure will always be there because in international cricket, you can’t take any series lightly. The margin between winning and losing is very small, and nowadays, the gap between international teams isn’t much either. However, we have to give our hundred percent regardless, and that mindset has worked well for me so far,” he added.