In the quest for longevity, Pant ready for ups and downs

His teammates had dispersed. So had the net bowlers. More than 30 minutes after he had begun batting at the farthest net, Rishabh Pant, set to lead Rest of India in the Irani Cup against Jammu & Kashmir from Thursday, seemed oblivious to the surroundings at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium.

If the 28-year-old conveyed the impression of having no other distractions at that moment, it is because he is confined to this one format for the time being. He isn’t in the ODI and T20I teams, which means that his next international assignment could be some time away — India plays two Tests against New Zealand in the second half of November.

Pant isn’t scratching his head over the imponderables. “There will be ups and downs. When you want to have an international career for 15-20 years, you have to go through these things. So, it’s that kind of mindset,” he said at the pre-match interaction. “It’s very simple. Whatever is in front of me, I will give my best. That’s how I have played cricket.”