‘We discuss a lot of things’: Rishabh Pant trains with Suresh Raina, reveals how the CSK batsman is helping him

“It’s good to start practicing right now. trying to improve every day, making use of the time now. It got wasted for 5-6 months. Let’s hope we start playing cricket soon and we are going to do well for the country,” Pant said.

India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who has been training alongside veteran allrounder Suresh Raina for over a week at the latter’s training center in Ghaziabad, revealed how the Chennai Super Kings batsman has helped him out in the past few weeks. The BCCI have not yet started the national training camp for India players, who have been on a break for the past few months due to the ongoing global pandemic.

File image of Rishabh Pant.(PTI)

But several cricketers including Mohammed Shami, Cheteshwar Pujara, Pant and Raina have started training on their own after getting the necessary approvals. Rupha Ramani on CSK’s official handle caught up with Pant and Raina on Monday and the Indian keeper opened up on how the training sessions are going for him.

“It’s good to start practicing right now. Trying to improve every day, making use of the time now. It got wasted for 5-6 months. Let’s hope we start playing cricket soon and we are going to do well for the country,” Pant said.

“It was kind of difficult after some time because staying at home makes you lazy. You have to do what you do. I have started practising now. Sooner or later, you have to do it.” he added. 

Talking about how Raina has helped him out, Pant said: “It’s been a good experience because with him (Raina) you can learn a lot of things. He is a left-handed batsman. You have got that brotherhood. He teaches me a lot of things, on and off the field situations. We discuss a lot of things and it’s helping me.”

Raina, himself, went on to praise the young keeper. “He is a top guy. I want him to be who he is. I just want him to be the best batsman for his calibre,” the left-handed batsman said.

Meanwhile, former India cricketer Kirit Azad believes that Pant is a special talent who needs to learn to keep his head cool. “He is very impulsive. I think he can turn out to be a very good batsman than keeper. And, if he keeps his head cool, the question is that he wants to hit every ball, you are not playing T20 cricket when you are playing a 50-overs game or a Test match,” Azad had told Sportskeeda in an interview.