NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant‘s dynamic batting since his return has delighted everyone, but Indian team’s fielding coach, T Dilip, is especially impressed by his exceptional glovework and acrobatics behind the stumps after undergoing major knee surgery.
Pant made his competitive cricket comeback in the last IPL after a long recovery from a severe car accident in December 2022.He has been a key player for the team in this T20 World Cup, delivering crucial performances at No. 3. His wicketkeeping skills have also been outstanding.
“The best thing is that Rishabh has done so well in his comeback. Especially the batting is considered to be very good. But one of the good things about him is the way he came back as a wicketkeeper,” Dilip said ahead of the team’s last group league game against Canada.
For the fielding coach, Pant’s smooth lateral movements post-surgery are particularly significant.
“Especially with an injury he had, to come back as a wicketkeeper and do that lateral movement, so that is very heartening to see.”
Commenting on Pant’s batting strategy, the coach mentioned that the player practices intense simulations in the nets, which aids him during actual matches.
“Coming to your question about batting differently, having different plans in the match, it’s a strategy, it’s something which Rishabh always does, is that he tries everything in practice whatever comes in a match so that he is well prepared with his options whatever he wants to try in a match.”
Dilip has been with the team for over two years and noted remarkable improvements in the fast bowlers’ fielding abilities, particularly in critical positions. An example of this is Mohammed Siraj’s catch of USA’s Nitish Kumar at deep mid-wicket.
“If I really want to go to specifics, what’s heartening to see is the bowlers doing really well. Yes, Jadeja is very good, Virat Kohli is good, Rohit Sharma is good. They were doing very well before.
“But then what’s happening is the bowlers doing really well, which is adding up as you can see that now the bowlers are standing in hot spots. So, that’s a great sign for a team.
“So that, what will happen in that, Rohit Sharma will get the versatility (options) that he doesn’t have to look for any place. That versatility is allowing him to keep good fielders at positions all the time.”
When asked for more details, Dilip highlighted that bowlers, even after long spells, return the next day for optional training sessions.
“After long bowling spells and coming back and especially most of the optional sessions, they are taking that initiative to come for the practice. That is first thing.
“And in that process, two important things we did in this, we try to do in this tournament, is attitude and attention to detail.
“Attention to detail means when the ball is going on the boundary… slow outfield, you all were never giving up till last moment, backing up when somebody is throwing.”
Dilip, who has experience working with notable baseball coach Mike King, stated that he incorporates some baseball throwing techniques into cricket practice.
“I love it because there are certain things which I have been using for pretty long, because back in there, I had an opportunity to work with Mike King, with an Australian team. He was a baseball player, so quite a few inputs from that game have really helped me in cricket,” said Dilip, who along with a few players and support staff, went to watch a Yankees game during their stay in New York.
“Other day, we went to Yankees Stadium, so we watched some baseball stuff out there and we met an NFL player, so it’s diverse sports, so we try to get in what we can learn from other sports, so it gives an opportunity to look into other sports.”
Pant made his competitive cricket comeback in the last IPL after a long recovery from a severe car accident in December 2022.He has been a key player for the team in this T20 World Cup, delivering crucial performances at No. 3. His wicketkeeping skills have also been outstanding.
“The best thing is that Rishabh has done so well in his comeback. Especially the batting is considered to be very good. But one of the good things about him is the way he came back as a wicketkeeper,” Dilip said ahead of the team’s last group league game against Canada.
For the fielding coach, Pant’s smooth lateral movements post-surgery are particularly significant.
“Especially with an injury he had, to come back as a wicketkeeper and do that lateral movement, so that is very heartening to see.”
Commenting on Pant’s batting strategy, the coach mentioned that the player practices intense simulations in the nets, which aids him during actual matches.
“Coming to your question about batting differently, having different plans in the match, it’s a strategy, it’s something which Rishabh always does, is that he tries everything in practice whatever comes in a match so that he is well prepared with his options whatever he wants to try in a match.”
Dilip has been with the team for over two years and noted remarkable improvements in the fast bowlers’ fielding abilities, particularly in critical positions. An example of this is Mohammed Siraj’s catch of USA’s Nitish Kumar at deep mid-wicket.
“If I really want to go to specifics, what’s heartening to see is the bowlers doing really well. Yes, Jadeja is very good, Virat Kohli is good, Rohit Sharma is good. They were doing very well before.
“But then what’s happening is the bowlers doing really well, which is adding up as you can see that now the bowlers are standing in hot spots. So, that’s a great sign for a team.
“So that, what will happen in that, Rohit Sharma will get the versatility (options) that he doesn’t have to look for any place. That versatility is allowing him to keep good fielders at positions all the time.”
When asked for more details, Dilip highlighted that bowlers, even after long spells, return the next day for optional training sessions.
“After long bowling spells and coming back and especially most of the optional sessions, they are taking that initiative to come for the practice. That is first thing.
“And in that process, two important things we did in this, we try to do in this tournament, is attitude and attention to detail.
“Attention to detail means when the ball is going on the boundary… slow outfield, you all were never giving up till last moment, backing up when somebody is throwing.”
Dilip, who has experience working with notable baseball coach Mike King, stated that he incorporates some baseball throwing techniques into cricket practice.
“I love it because there are certain things which I have been using for pretty long, because back in there, I had an opportunity to work with Mike King, with an Australian team. He was a baseball player, so quite a few inputs from that game have really helped me in cricket,” said Dilip, who along with a few players and support staff, went to watch a Yankees game during their stay in New York.
“Other day, we went to Yankees Stadium, so we watched some baseball stuff out there and we met an NFL player, so it’s diverse sports, so we try to get in what we can learn from other sports, so it gives an opportunity to look into other sports.”