India player Rishabh Pant is known for his unorthodox stroke play with his USP being his trademark shot being the one-handed six where the bat often slips from his grips. In a recent conversation with JioHotstar, the 27-year-old explained why this happens.
“I think it mostly happens because I hold my bottom hand very lightly. I mainly try to use my bottom hand for support because, at times, it starts dominating. So, I focus on gripping my top hand tightly,” said Pant.
“But when I overreach—especially when the ball is too wide or too short—it’s not always in the ideal hitting zone. Sometimes, the shot I attempt may only have a 30-40% success rate, but depending on the match situation, I’m willing to take that risk. That’s my mindset,” he added.
“When I take that chance and overreach, I need to do something to maintain balance. At times, it may look like I’m throwing the bat, but in reality, I’m just trying to make the most of that delivery. If my bat slips, if it’s not in my hand, or even if it hits my head—my only focus at that moment is finding the boundary,” he concluded.
Pant, who was in the India side which won the Champions Trophy recently but did not get a match, will next be seen in action leading the Lucknow Super Giants in the upcoming Indian Premier League season. Pant was bagged by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 27 crores after a ferocious bidding war at the IPL auction.
While his former franchise Delhi Capitals opted for an Right To Match bid at Rs 20.75 crore, LSG raised the bidding by a staggering margin to Rs 27 crore, make him the most expensive signing at the auctions history ahead of Shreyas Iyer, who received a Rs 26.75 crore bid from Punjab Kings earlier this evening.
