"I wanted to become the best player of the franchise first" - Rishabh Pant on his evolution at Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2022

Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Rishabh Pant said he channeled his focus on becoming the best player in the franchise during his early days. The wicket-keeper batter was roped in by the team in 2016, on the back of his exploits at the ICC U-19 World Cup.

The 24-year-old could only muster 198 runs across 10 matches in his debut season. After a lukewarm campaign in 2017, Pant played to his potential in the subsequent campaign. Registering 684 runs at a strike rate of 173.6, he was adjudged the Emerging Player of the Year.

Since entering the team as a rookie, Rishabh Pant has evolved to be the franchise's mainstay in the middle-order and is now their captain as well. Speaking about his evolution over the course of seven years with the Delhi franchise, Pant said in an interview with the Times Of India:

"When I first came to the Capitals, I got a lot of confidence after meeting the owners, support staff. In the last 3-4 years, we have changed a lot as a team. I wanted to become the best player of the franchise first. I started learning from everyone around me."

Noting that he gained confidence by facing seasoned international bowlers in the nets, Pant added:

"When I came to the IPL setup, we had gun fast bowlers like Pat Cummins, Shami, Rabada and Coulter-Nile. I told myself if I can play these prime international bowlers, I will get confidence. All these things have helped me reach the place where I am today. I added all the learning to my game but I never wanted to change my style of play."

The flamboyant player will lead the Delhi Capitals for the second consecutive year after initially being appointed on a temporary basis. He was retained at the end of IPL 2021 by the franchise along with Prithvi Shaw, Anrich Nortje and Axar Patel.

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"It's a challenge to not focus on the expectations" - Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant has arguably been one of the players who had to bear the brunt because of the expectations. Coming into the national team as MS Dhoni's replacement, expectations have been a constant presence on his shoulders right from the start.

Addressing the challenges that he faces as a player and as a captain, he said:

"It's an honour for me. If people are expecting things from me, that means I am doing something good in life. It's a challenge to not focus on the expectations. When you become a captain then it's not about yourself."

Pant added:

"You have to see how new people are gelling with the team, if they are comfortable. You have to learn from different people and share your knowledge with everyone."

The Delhi Capitals captain will be seen leading the side in the upcoming IPL 2022. The franchise is slated to open their campaign against the Mumbai Indians on March 27 at the Brabourne Stadium, according to the IPL 2022 schedule.