Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant believes that young cricketers today are more focused on bagging an IPL contract rather than aiming to represent India at the international level. The 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, who made his debut for India in 2017, emphasized that his childhood dream was always to play for the national team, and the IPL was never a priority for him. “Since childhood, I had only one dream—to play for India. I never even thought about playing in the IPL. I think today, people are more focused on the IPL. Of course, it’s a great platform, but I believe that if your goal is to play for your country, everything else—including the IPL—will eventually fall into place,” Pant told JioHotstar. Pant further explained that if young players aim higher and focus on representing their country, opportunities in the IPL will naturally come their way. “If you have that bigger mindset, success will follow. I always believed that I would play for India one day, and God has been kind. At 18, I got the opportunity to make my debut, and I am grateful for that,” he added. ‘The game is changing now’ When asked about his unconventional batting style and the inspiration behind his innovative shots, Pant acknowledged that such strokes have been played in the past but are now being used more frequently. “Earlier, quite a few players played these shots. I have seen old videos of Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni), and he, too, has played the lap shot. But percentage-wise, I think they used to do it less," he said. He also pointed out how cricket has evolved in recent times, requiring players to adapt to new strategies and techniques. “The game is changing now—field placements are different, and players are adapting. Some might feel it’s necessary for their game, while others may not. At the end of the day, how you read the game determines how you play it," he explained. Rishabh Pant was part of India's squad in the ICC Champions Trophy, which the team won. However, he did not get a chance to play in the tournament, as KL Rahul was preferred as the wicketkeeper in the playing XI. Also Read: Sehwag: Rohit Sharma thinks less about himself and more about team With the IPL set to begin soon, Pant will now turn his focus to the tournament, where he is the most expensive player and will represent Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2025.