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Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Rishabh Pant is set to make his comeback in IPL 2024 against the Punjab Kings on Saturday, March 23, after being away from the game for as many as 15 months.
Pant met with a horrific car accident in December 2022 and had to take a long rehabilitation route to give himself a chance of making a comeback. While it could have been disheartening for anyone to miss so much cricket in their prime, Pant learnt to find happiness in small things during this period.
Speaking in a video posted by the Delhi Capitals on Instagram, Rishabh Pant revealed a mantra that he got from former Indian legendary wicketkeeper MS Dhoni. He said:
"Mahi bhai has a dialogue. 'Focus on the poor subject. It's a part of the journey.' I need to enjoy the journey as well, right? When I go to practice, I need to get a feel of the bat. When I keep wickets, I want to know how the ball feels in the gloves when I collect it. If we start enjoying these small things, the positivity increases in life."
Rishabh Pant has been pretty vocal about how the whole rehabilitation process and the way his life gradually became normal again helped him gain a fresh perspective on life.
Rishabh Pant on the feeling of being able to play cricket again
Rishabh Pant opened up on how it felt when he joined the Capitals for their IPL 2024 preparatory camp in Vizag. Being able to play freely again was a feeling that mesmerized Pant.
On this, he stated:
"You cannot describe that feeling (of being back). You just get mesmerized by something. I didn't feel like I was playing for the first time, but it also didn't feel like I had been playing for a while. It was just a different feeling and energy and I enjoyed it."
The Delhi Capitals have been asked to bat first after Shikhar Dhawan won the toss. It will be interesting to see the kind of impact Pant has in his first competitive innings back on the big stage.
