The story of Virat Kohli turning up to play a match-saving knock for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy a day after his father's death is one of the most courageous events ever in Indian cricket. But did you know that Rishabh Pant showed equally great strength and grit when he was struck with a similar tragedy? Devender Sharma, the assistant to veteran Indian cricket coach Tarak Sinha, who played a huge role in giving India cricket the genius of Pant, recalled an instance when Pant, while dealing with the tragic loss of his father, gathered the courage to play an IPL match and bailed his team out of trouble. (Also Read: IPL 2022 Full Coverage)
Sinha, a renowned coach in the domestic cricket circuit, ran the Sonnet Cricket Club in Delhi, where Pant's cricketing roots lie. Last November, Pant was struck with the grief of losing his coach. "It was like losing my father all over again," he had said. Devender recalled how the news of Sinha's passing hit Pant hard but being mentally strong saw him through the setback.
"When news of Ustaad ji being diagnosed with cancer first came, he was very disturbed. We even sent sir's reports to him when he was in England. The doctor told Rishabh that it was best that sir get treated in Delhi or Jaipur. He was shattered when sir died; we all thought sir would fight it out. [But Pant] is mentally strong - even when his father died, he came back two days after the cremation to play an IPL game and scored runs," Devender was quoted as saying by The Week.
It was in 2017 that Rishabh lost his father, Rajendra Pant to a cardiac arrest and two days later, he scored an emotional half-century for Delhi Capitals (formerly Daredevils).
{{/usCountry}}It was in 2017 that Rishabh lost his father, Rajendra Pant to a cardiac arrest and two days later, he scored an emotional half-century for Delhi Capitals (formerly Daredevils).
{{/usCountry}}Pant had penned an emotional post on his Instagram handle, which read: "He loved me for who I was and accepted me for who I was striving to become. Dads are strong for a reason. Their strength gives us a sense of protection. Now that you are in heaven dad, I know you will continue to protect me. Thanks for being my dad. I will always love and miss you until we meet again."