Dear Rishabh Pant,
It’s finally time that we the fans of you are all set to welcome you back with arms wide open. Maybe in a different role this time but such is your essence, such is the love that you have knitted in the hearts of the fans that they just want to see you bat.
Yes, you are coming back as a pure batter only to see how fit you will be ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup. For the fans who believe that you are going to rock centuries straightaway, truth be told, an ACL tear recovery is far from that. First and foremost, it trains you to rethink, reconsider your strategies and most importantly knowing what your available strengths are.
Rishabh Pant smashing in the Practice matches. 🔥🇮🇳pic.twitter.com/hLswXpC6xt
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 21, 2024
It tests your muscle memory for you will have to relearn how to run. You are always in fear of what would happen of it snaps again because at the back of your mind unless you have gone all guns blazing, unless you have ran as fast as you wanted to, unless you have batted for at least 10 overs, it just doesn’t change at all.
The struggle is a lot more psychological. It is to program your brain to believe first that it is alright. Maybe at times, you will only have to rely on your boundaries. Is it a rush that we may say? Maybe it is but then when you don the Indian threads, I reckon the questions are too many on the horizon and there is always someone to take your place.
So you have to just lift your head up and practice. Once again, no matter how hard you practice at the end of the day, unless you take the yard in real life, none of it actually counts. People may expect you to be the hero that you were from day one. But being practical, we would expect you to hit the game slowly but steadily. Start with those quickfire 20s and 30s before the 100s start flowing again.
You have just started Rishabh Pant. There is a long way to go. Welcome back, Rish. Wishing you all the best for IPL.
Yours sincerely,
A crazy cricket fan
