The five-match Test series against England will be starting from June 20 with the first Test scheduled to be held at Headingley. But one of the major gaps that are needed to be filled are the ones left by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma after they announced their retirement from Test cricket. As the two legends walked away the responsiblity to lead the team is on young Shubman Gill with Rishabh Pant being his deputy.
In the press conference, Rishabh Pant opened about being a senior now and his vice-captaincy role. He mentioned that being a senior is secondary he is a middle order batter first and that’s where his focus lies.
Rishabh Pant Becomes The “Senior”
“It feels good but at the same time, you know it’s a responsibility also to share your knowledge, your experience with our new players, new youngsters coming to the team. But at the same time, not focusing on that senior part too much, you still have to play the game, you still have to learn the game as an individual and keep helping people around you. That’s how I look at it.”
“Just A Batsman In Middle Order”
“See it’s extracted responsibility, but at the same time when you are in the middle of the ground, you are not thinking, ‘Oh, I’m the vice-captain. I’m the senior player.’ You’re just a batsman in the middle. You’ve got to do the best you can from your side, and eventually the game will take care of itself.”
Gap After The Retirement Of Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma
“Definitely big people have left, yes there will be a gap, but at the same time it’s an opportunity for us to build a new culture or take the existing culture forward, just adding to it.
“Being in a great frame of mind, helping the new players to learn and improve themselves in overseas conditions. That is something we look forward to, and sharing knowledge with each other, having that care and love in their dressing room for each other. And that is something we’re looking forward to do.”