Published: Jan 20, 2026, 07:53 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 20, 2026, 08:56 AM (IST)
India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant believes that youngsters should push their limits early in life, as there will be enough time later to relax. Pant said he has always played cricket with one clear dream – to win matches for India.
Speaking on the importance of dedication and hard work, Pant explained how his mindset towards life and cricket changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an event, Pant revealed that the pandemic played a key role in making him more serious about his career and responsibilities.
“I lost my father when I was very young but at the same time it teaches you to take responsibility in a positive way,” said on Monday.
“That made me really strong but one major part of getting serious came after the COVID-19 (pandemic) … when you are playing as a youngster, you are not really thinking about your financials and you are only focussing on playing cricket.”
Pant said his focus was always clear from a young age – playing for India and delivering match-winning performances.
“In my mind, I only wanted to play for India and that was the only dream, just to win matches for India. The rest, I feel, is a by-product of it,” he said.
While agreeing that work-life balance is important, Pant stressed that youngsters should give their all during the early phase of their careers.
“My focus in life has been very singular in a way (that) I feel you have to mad about something to make it crazy. That’s something I believe in,” he said.
“Nowadays, we talk about work-life balance, I think people need to understand that first you need to work hard, go crazy about your work and there will be (a) time in life when you can relax and chill back.”
Pant added that youth is the best phase to push boundaries and learn continuously. “But as a youngster, it is the best thing to push your limits because there is a lot of time to recover.“
“Once you go to (ages) 35 or 45, you would want to have (a) more secured thought process and planning but before that, just grind it out from bottom to top. Everywhere you go, try to learn and something beautiful comes out of it,” he added.
India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also shared his thoughts, underlining how security plays a key role in performance across all professions.
“It’s important to have security. In cricket, you can play your shots only when you know your place in the team is secure. Similarly, every field needs to have the element of security,” he said.
