Rishabh Pant is a unique character to handle by any coach and former India head coach Ravi Shastri revealed a funny incident when he used reverse psychology on the India keeper wicketkeeper-batter.
During a Test match in Chennai against England, Pant continued hitting Jack Leach over the top and Shastri used an innovative method to get him to stop playing that shot.
Ravichandran Ashwin discussed about that incident in detail with Shastri on his YouTube channel.
In the viral video, Ashwin revealed: "I still remember this conversation you had with Rishabh in Chennai when we were playing the Test. He (Pant) is a very unique character, a unique guy, he's very special. He kept tonking (England spinner) Jack Leach over the top. You were having a chat with him the next day and you said 'arre yar chhotu, idhar mat maar na yaar, reverse sweep maar' (don't hit there, play the reverse sweep)."
"I was like, Ravi bhai has never said that. You will probably come to us and say 'grind it out' and all that. Then what prompted you to say that? Is it understanding of a certain character?" asked Ashwin.
To this, Shastri said: "Absolutely! Because I knew if I tell him don't play it (the shot), that's against his nature (and) he might play it even more."
Pant revolutionalised Test cricket with his innovative shots and emerged as India's X-facter in whites until he met with a horrific car crash in December 2022. It kept the youngster out for a year before Pant made a return to competitive cricket in IPL 2024.
Following his impressive show in the cash-rich league, Pant was included in Team India's squad for the T20 World Cup in June in USA and the West Indies.