Updated: June 9, 2022 10:34:37 am
India vs South Africa 1st T20I will take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. (PTI)It was only an hour earlier that Rishabh Pant was told he would captain India in the five-match T20I series against South Africa. The first of which was to be played in the city where he shaped his cricket journey, Delhi.
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Apart from the fact that this came at the cost of a colleague (captain KL Rahul) being ruled out due to injury, there couldn’t have been a more perfect beginning to Pant’s India captaincy journey.
In the minutes leading up to BCCI making the news official, Pant, who already knew of it then, donned the keeping gloves with Hardik Pandya bowling on the side wicket. The newly-appointed skipper was then seen having a chat with India’s strength and conditioning coach, Soham Desai, before having a quick word with his deputy Hardik Pandya and head coach Rahul Dravid.
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Within minutes of the BCCI making the news official, the newly appointed India skipper walked into the media briefing room with a big smile on his face.
“I haven’t been able to digest it yet,” said the 24-year old.
Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant in action. (File) “I will try to make the most out of it. Thank you to all my well-wishers for supporting me in my journey through the thick and thin of my cricketing career. I will look to make it a base and keep improving and keep making my life better and better each and every day,” he added.
After an eight and a half minute long press conference, Pant again turned his attention to training.
Newly appointed captain Rishabh Pant was only dealing in sixes today in training. Good signs with the game tomorrow in his hometown. Got a tap on the shoulders from Rahul Dravid. Had a chat with the coach and his deputy Hardik Pandya & called it a day.
#INDvsSA @IExpressSports pic.twitter.com/h9k0EJLc4R— Rahul Pandey (@sportstoryguy) June 8, 2022
As Pant padded up to face some throwdowns at the side wicket, Pandya was just getting finished with his batting session.
In the 20-25 minutes he spent batting, Pant only went for the big hits. At one stage he hit four of them in a row. First, over deep extra cover. Then straight down the ground. One between long off and deep extra cover. And then, a lofted on-drive for six.
Done with the PC and onto whacking sixes over our heads now.#INDvSA @IExpressSports pic.twitter.com/qG4pZxWe5Y
— Rahul Pandey (@sportstoryguy) June 8, 2022
Earlier in the press conference the 24-year old had talked about what it meant for him to have his coach from his U19 days, Dravid, by his side ahead of his national captaincy debut.
“I think it’s one of the best things,” he said. “I was with him in the U19 days, U19 India, IPL, and then the India (senior) team also. There’s a lot to learn from him, how to conduct myself on and off the field.”
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