The Conqueror of the Gabba A small-town kid who dreamt of playing for the Indian National Cricket team to chasing down 328 to secure a victory for team India at a stadium where Australia had been undefeated for over three decades. Here is the story of the rise of Rishabh Pant.
By Saptak Bardhan •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Hailing from a small town in Uttarakhand, Rishabh also had the same dreams of every Indian kid in the streets playing cricket. He wanted to play and represent India. Having faced a lot of tough circumstances, he has always survived those situations and taken learnings from the same. Being as humble he is, he refuses to being called a "Next-Gen Star' or anything else as he believes his career is still a work in progress. He feels it is nice to have all the plaudits and admiration from everyone around him. However, he believes it is even more important to keep his head down and working hard to fulfil his potential. He knows that there will be a time for the tags eventually.
"It is obviously very flattering, to be mentioned in the same sentence as Mahi bhai, but there is no comparison at all. Mahi bhai is a legend of the game, not just Indian cricket. What he has done, how far he has come and how much he has achieved is an education for every cricketer. He's someone I look up to and hold in the highest regard. So, to compare us, makes me very uncomfortable."
Rishabh believes he has been extremely fortunate to share the same space with M.S. Dhoni. He also believes that if he is able to replicate a small portion of what M.S. Dhoni has achieved, he will consider himself successful. As a kid who watched M.S. Dhoni's brilliance growing up, he dreamt of standing at the non-strikers end and watching his idol bat. The iconic "Gabba' chase where Rishabh Pant led India to victory in Australia. Rishabh Pant was on his A-game that afternoon at the Brisbane Cricket Ground popularly known as "The Gabba'. Australia had been undefeated there for a little over three decades until the afternoon where
Rishabh Pant stole all the headlines as he steered India to victory.
"The odds were stacked very heavily against us, but we were so determined to pull ourselves over the line. The way Cheteshwar endured the pressure – both mental and physical, to set up a base from where we could attempt the unthinkable, was special"
He believes he will remember the run chase forever as he will cherish those moments since the series will be a conversation starter for years to come. He believes on building on the achievements rather than just admiring them from distance. Rishabh is of the opinion that every year brings new challenges and hurdles with itself and all the achievements, be it team achievement or personal achievements becomes a thing of the past. He is of the opinion that one builds his or her own success and learns from his or her own failures. "The only way to grow is by ensuring the process of learning and striving to be a better person and professional you were than yesterday, never stops."
