'I couldn't breathe': Pant's opens up on comparisons with Dhoni; reveals dynamics of their equation (WATCH)
Rishabh Pant, who is still recuperating from a life-threatening car accident in 2022, acknowledged that currently, MS Dhoni is the only individual with whom he feels comfortable sharing every aspect of his life.
FollowRishabh Pant has found Mahendra Singh Dhoni to be a reliable confidant for some time now. However, there was a period when being compared to the legendary former India captain left the young wicketkeeper-batter so overwhelmed that he found it difficult 'to breathe'. Pant, who is still recuperating from a life-threatening car accident in 2022, acknowledged that currently, Dhoni is the only individual with whom he feels comfortable sharing every aspect of his life.
Nevertheless, he also confessed that during the initial stages of his career, grappling with comparisons to the iconic figure from Ranchi was challenging to handle.
"I used to really feel very bad. I used to go back to my room and cry at 20-21 years of age. Under stress, I couldn't breathe. So much pressure, and I didn't know what to do. I missed a stumping in Mohali, and the crowd started to chant 'Dhoni Dhoni'," Pant said in a 'Star Sports' series that documents his recovery from the accident.
At this juncture, Pant expressed feeling emotionally overwhelmed when discussing his dynamics with the 2011 World Cup winner.
"I always find it difficult to explain my relationship with MS. Dhoni. There are some with whom you can talk freely. I discuss everything with MSD. I have learned so much from him. I discuss things with him that I wouldn't discuss with anybody else. That's the kind of relationship (I have) with him," Pant said.
Pant, who undeniably stood as India's most significant game-changer in Test cricket before being derailed by the horrific crash, admitted that before the comparisons with the bona fide legend Dhoni turned hurtful, he was genuinely perplexed by them.
"First of all, I didn't understand why questions were raised. I had just made it to the team, and people were talking about being a replacement," Pant said.
"Why were people raising such questions at a youngster? Why are you comparing? There shouldn't be any comparison at all. Some have played five matches and the others have played 500. It's been such a long journey, so many ups and downs, so the comparison is not fair," he added.
Pant expressed his everlasting gratitude to seniors like Yuvraj Singh for making him feel comfortable when he initially entered the scene.
"At the start, I was very young, and there were a lot of senior players, a lot of them actually. Yuvraj Singh, MS were there, all seniors. It does take some time, but I didn't get the feeling of them being super seniors. They were very welcoming and made me very comfortable. They make every new player very comfortable. This is the culture of the Indian team," he said.
