In the first Test match against South Africa, which begins in Kolkata on Friday, Rishabh Pant will don his India whites following a four-month break. The wicketkeeper-batter is naturally thrilled to have made a challenging recovery from the latest injury setback.
Pant returned to competitive cricket during India A’s two unofficial Test matches against South Africa A in Bengaluru after suffering a foot fracture during the fourth Test against England in Manchester in July.
“After an injury, it is never easy to come back. But God has been kind always and he has blessed me always, and this time also, and very happy to be back,” said Pant in a video posted by BCCI on social media.
“See, every time I take the field, one thing I try to be is to be grateful. That’s why I always look up and thank God, my parents, my family, everyone has supported me (during the recovery phase),” added the man who recovered from life-threatening injuries from a car accident to return to cricket last year.
Pant stated that instead of worrying about outside rumors regarding his future, he concentrated on maintaining a positive state of mind during the rehabilitation phase.
“One thing I do is to focus on controllables, luck is one thing that you cannot control. So, I try not to think about that, as there are so many factors that we don’t factor in.
“But if you can keep your mind in a place where a lot of things are not affecting you, and you focus only on things that matter to you. You will find happiness if you keep on doing things that make you feel good, especially when you are injured,” he said.
According to the 28-year-old, difficult times may be incredibly educative.
“Just be in a zone where you feel comfortable, work hard, be disciplined, and be in a zone where you are ready to learn but still enjoying that time doing everything,” he said.
“Whatever you are doing you need to enjoy that moment, and give your 100 percent and find joy and happiness in that,” he added.
