Rishabh Pant: From Near Fatal Car Crash to Winning the World Cup (Ep139)

0:00You had a major life-threatening car crash in 2022. Is there a Rishabh Pant before and after that crash? I think the accident taught me more about life. It was a crazy time for me, man. Like, seriously, I try to make it very normal, but from inside I know sometimes it takes away your soul. As a kid, I had only one thought. I want to play for India. It's a crazy competition, especially in India, and cricket is our number one sport. 1.4 billion people are there, and you have to give whatever it takes. I feel it has changed the life of cricketers for sure. The kind of money, some crazy money. Playing cricket is one thing, but taking care of your family, being financially free in that mindset plays a huge part.

0:45I haven't reached my potential. I want to be as authentic as I can because I don't like filters. My wife Mahindra Singh Dhoni told me one thing like, you want to have success for 1-2 years or you want to make your career for like 15-20 years, it's up to you.

1:04Hello and welcome to The Business of Sport, the show that takes you behind the scenes with the industry's leading owners, operators and athletes. It's a genuine world-class athlete who joins me on the show today. There are few sports people with more influence than India's international cricketers and Rishabh Pant has been at the top of the cricketing world for a decade. A multi-format player who captured people's attention with his aggressive batting and elite talent, there has always seemed to be a story to tell here that looks beyond the performance, and today I'm delighted to bring it to you.

1:34Having survived a near-fatal car crash, the Rishab that sits with me today is a different one from the man who started a career with complete tunnel vision to reach the top of the game. As he explains, an experience like this has pushed him to look at life more holistically, from time spent with family to building a business and investment strategy that will extend long beyond his playing days. It's an incredible story, and as we rarely get to see inside the life of an Indian cricketer, a privileged opportunity to grasp what it is like playing for one of the most followed sports teams on the planet.

2:04So, without further ado, we are delighted to welcome Rishabh Pant to the Business of Sport. As this episode is brought to you by Airwallex, I wanted to share a piece of content created to announce Airwallex's partnership with Arsenal earlier this year. Fans, players, Henri, Spike Lee. with partnerships now having a huge content impact. This is one of the best you'll see. Turn your video on or watch it separately from the link in the bio. Who's this new Arsenal partner then? Air Wallachs. Air who? Air Wallachs is an A-I-N-A-2-B-2-B financial platformer. What? Built-in spend control. Buying? Non-deliverable forward.

2:42Infect? What? You don't even know your instant virtual iPad. No! Can we please just watch the match? Oh, hell no. If you weren't watching, that is the legendary director Spike Lee and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry at the end. So the business of sport is brought to you by Airwallex, the intelligent financial platform powering brands like McLaren Racing, Arsenal as you've just seen, and the San Francisco Giants. From global accounts and cards to expenses and payouts, Airwallex helps the business of sport move money everywhere. Most sporting directors don't know they have a problem. They've got their scouts.

3:20They've got their analysts. They've got their systems. And it works, right? Until it doesn't. A player becomes available Tuesday. By Thursday, they're signed elsewhere because you were still hunting through email for the scout report. Or you make a signing that seemed good at the time, but buried in the contract was a clause that blows up your wage structure three months later. These aren't rare situations. They're happening at clubs every single window. The clubs that figured this out are already winning. across England, France, Italy, Australia and Brazil from championship sides to top tier clubs sporting directors are consolidating everything into Gemini scout reports, performance information, contract intelligence, budget impact all available in one place all on their phone no more hunting, no more surprises no more end of window panic visit geminisports.ai and see how Gemini bring together everything a sporting director needs to see the complete picture before making a decision that could define the next two seasons rishab pant welcome to the business of sport in london as well i'm pretty excited about it me too man like thanks for having me here thank you for coming in honestly it is great we love we love to do these in person thank you for giving us the time you come at an interesting time on the cricket side because the one day team was announced yesterday and you weren't selected for for india for that how has that kind of sat within the cricketing mindset that you have at the moment and where you're putting a lot of that time?

4:47So definitely, you know, you feel bad when something like this happens. But, you know, as an athlete mindset, you know, like we always say that when there is a setback, there is always a comeback, you know, as long as these are things as an athlete, you have to deal with day to day life, you know, when people talk about this happened to me, that happened to me, I think as an athlete, this is part and parcel of the game. But at the same time you know you know as an individual how hard you're working how clear you are in your path sometimes it's not easy to maintain at this level but at the same time you know like i said if you're clear in your mind and you know you have to see it in your mind first a lot of people say that but to make it happen every day you have there is a voice you know in your head which is very constant in a very disciplined manner you have to train it obviously over a period of time that doesn't matter what you have to keep pushing you have to keep getting better the only thing is like I would say it's easier to make opinions all the time but at the same time you know people have to wait for things to happen a small thing like we were playing a test match few days ago and I got hit on the shoulder you know and it was really really painful for me but at the same time like it's been like 15-20 days but at the same time that moment happened maybe in the game for three four days but for me my shoulder is still paining and it takes time you know like that was a moment in the game and people might see it for like five days but for the person who is going through that moment will go through that moment for at least next 15-20 days yes it's not stopping me from doing any activity but when i sleep on my shoulder you know you can feel that bruise inside you know do the doctors want you to be resting they probably do right the you know doctors they always want you to rest you know if you gotta keep listening to the doctors we are always sleeping and resting yeah so where are we gonna to make things happen for us then.

7:01How important is focus for you within cricket and you're a player that has played different formats where does that kind of need to focus come into it where you have to go right I commit here I may have to give a little bit here I'm fit enough to play this I'm not fit enough to do this how do you approach that? You know you have to have holistic approach it's very hard to you know pinpoint everything see when I'm playing cricket it's easier for me to be very disciplined. It's like a business for me. Like I know how it runs for me. You know, it's like a whole setup. You know, you're going to prepare like this.

7:37This is my mindset. This is area I keep on working, you know, because as an athlete, you want to improve yourself each and every day. But at the same time, you know, having that clarity in the mind, it takes time. Because you have to leave a lot of things behind and still want to focus each and every day because like you asked me that question, the setback is there, you know, especially during setbacks, you feel like, ah, I don't want to do this anymore. But that's the mindset, that's the discipline, you know that you're going to make it happen. So for this, is your mindset, I'm going to get back in the team?

8:14Yeah. I think there is no doubt that I have to make it happen because for me, I feel from inside that I haven't had the best opportunity to give my best but at the same time you know the international cricket and all the sport is over every time is changing all the time but at the same time sometimes you have to wait for your chance and make things happen in a bigger way yeah I'm going to ask you about something that was it was huge in your life a few years ago because I'm feeling it's going to influence a lot of how you talk about the various things in your life but you had a major life-threatening car crash in 2022 yeah you talked about setbacks when you go through something like that there's an element to it where you think about sport and then suddenly there's an element to it where there is sport is is a job like it's a small part of my life is there a Rishabh pant before and after that crash I would say yes for sure for me like it was a life-changing experience for me like i wouldn't say it a setback because you know i like to see my life in a positive way you know you have to keep see words are those only situation will be those but how you take those situation and make it work for you that's that is up to you because see there's one guy who is always having a conversation with you is your head yeah you know you have to be stronger than your head because it's gonna go everywhere i think the accident like you said it taught me more about life i think if i'll i'll be honest i was not even thinking about life this and that you know when you are so much deep into something you're not even thinking what's happening around you you are just you know trying to be the best version of you and like I said one thing before the accident like you have to be crazy about something to make it happen you know because it's a crazy competition especially in India the 1.4 billion people are there and and cricket is our number one sport yeah and you know that that you have to give whatever it takes.

10:37So you have to cut down, you know, your life and make it streamline that you are only focusing on this. That's why like people around me, I always tell them like, I'm playing cricket. I'm giving whatever I have in my life for cricket and everything else just revolves around it, you know, because there will be a time when in my life I will not play cricket. then I can give everyone enough time but till then I want to be focused enough streamlined enough because I want to give whatever I have put my best foot forward and give my all so Rishabh beforehand was cricket it was tunnel vision for cricket yeah and Rishabh afterwards is I have multiple things that are important to me there are lots of things I want to achieve I agree after accident I feel like you know one thing which has improved a lot for me is how I see life in a gratitude way you know I had a broader perspective I was not thinking anything else but now I know family is also important work is also important my obviously focusing on my cricket is still the priority list, you know, number one.

11:57But, you know, other than cricket also, life has more to offer. You have to be nice to people, regardless how you're feeling bad or good, you know. You start appreciating life in a better way rather than just being inside the tunnel and not thinking about anything. Can you remember after it happened, when was the first time you actually thought about cricket? Because as I said, when you go through something like this, the first bit is, I need to get back and be healthy. This was a serious thing, as you said. this wasn't like a guarantee that you could even probably play again so once you've overcome that hurdle and you go okay i'm i'm okay was it in your mind going how quickly can i get back to training to playing i think in my mind it was always like that like for me obviously i'd for first seven months yeah the kind of pain i had to endure was unbelievable like especially for the first three four months it was like crazy crazy because you know in a especially in a knee injury you have to do rehab like your everything is so stiff so in so i'm a wicked keeper okay so i have to squat and everything you know i need more range than anyone else in the cricket field so so the only thing in my mind was like i know firstly i never doubted that i'm not gonna play cricket like it just didn't come to my mind maybe here and there because see everyone was making me that giving me that feeling that I might not able to play in my life like obviously even the doctor was thinking that but at the same time you know I didn't even you know had a thought in my mind that I might not play the only thought in my mind was how quickly can I play because when I was in the bed I asked I asked the doctor one question and it was like very heart to heart.

13:52My doctor name was Dincho Padhiwala. I feel he is the best in the business for sure. Like the way my injury was, I broke almost every ligament in my knee. I asked him, boss, you know, kind of man to man. What do you think? Tell me. Good or bad, it's okay, but you can tell me. He told me, Rishabh. i can guarantee you you know you start living a normal life but as of now it's looking a long road ahead but i said give me a time frame i said whatever time you give me i'm gonna do it before six months whatever time you give me i have to you know cut down the time and it was in my mind and this is i'm talking about when i was in hospital because i was in a hospital for almost 40 days so this conversation happened in first 15 days because in my mind I was like I need to get back regardless how people wrote me off but in my mind I was like I know I can do it you know everyday motivating myself through it was the biggest challenge for me.

14:59And I hope this number is right but it took 629 days to return to international cricket You know, when you're doing such a long rehab, you actually start forgetting like, why I'm doing this? Like, you know, you start questioning yourself because six months on the bed. Imagine a person doing everything on his own, you know, going around the world, playing every day. And I'm someone who doesn't want to sit in one place. I'm always out and about doing something. Now I'm bedridden. I need help to even, you know, stand up for months. I started walking without crutches in nine months. It was crazy time for me, man.

15:44Like seriously, I try to make it very normal. But from inside, I know, you know, sometimes it takes away your soul from inside every day. But now you say you like to live life with a positive spin, right? It's strengthened you. Now it's an experience that you've gone through that you can harness in cricket and life outside of the sport. But if you can do that, if you can get back to playing top-level cricket, from that position, you can do pretty much anything. I think that was a turnaround for me, you know, coming back to the circuit and God was kind enough. You know, I played IPL. We played the T20 World Cup and we won the World Cup.

16:23Imagine like six, eight months sitting there, had a crazy accident. In my mind, I was telling, you know, our captain Roy Charma, I was telling him, brother, you have to get me back. I was not walking enough, but you know, but in my mind, it was always there about like, I have to make it happen. And like, there was no no in my mind or no doubt. I had to make it happen. And when you're clear, you want to make it happen. Whatever it takes, I think sooner or later, it's appreciated for sure. Tell us about the IPL. We're fascinated by it, right? Most interestingly, because I can't tell you how many times someone creates a new league or club or whatever, and they'll say, oh, but the IPL did it.

17:13It's been an incredible story of innovation in sport and how to add additional value. But it also just has something that I've never seen, and you almost probably would never see outside of India for a sport I love so much, which is just the level and depth of passion. it seems like the most incredible atmosphere to be a part of and around all the time while also most importantly for this show of course being a really good business yeah i feel you know ipil is one thing it's ip property of bc's for sure but at the same time the way have the way they have structured it i think it has changed the life of cricketers for sure you know as a business obviously it's one thing but you know once you start playing there it's like a festival man like you know then you understand the more people get involved in a different way the bigger it gets you know it's like a festival started with a league but now it has taken over you know commercial this that and I think it's getting bigger and bigger every year and even the you know the kind of money some crazy money because it will change the life of people in a different way you know playing cricket is one thing but you know taking care of your family being financially free in that mindset obviously it plays a huge part you know you're more freer like for me it didn't matter because you know as a kid I always wanted to play cricket to the fullest and that's a mindset I still take and everything comes with a byproduct.

18:53And you wouldn't have had the IPL when you were growing up, right? No. So now we're probably in the first generation of players, like fully playing. I would say born 2007. Yeah, I think second generation almost, yeah. Yeah, so 19. Well, yeah, of course, because now you have 15-year-olds doing amazing things. That's why I like it. It's incredible, right? But for them growing up now, you have a whole generation, I'd imagine, of young cricketers in India inspired by a tournament that they have known for their whole life. I think like it's been a great addition like for us it's a life-changing experience for sure but as a kid you know when you get something so big obviously the opportunities have like become massive because otherwise the exposure was very limited.

19:37now because of the IPL the exposure has gone to a different level especially for our domestic circuit, it's still our domestic league, it's such a big tournament obviously it feels like a festival around the world but still for us as Indian it has helped us grow our skill in a different way. And do you see that, you've been in and around teams, do you look around now at some of the kids coming through, whether it's Asuri or Avanshi or whoever and go wow this this talent is exceptional and it's and it's exceptional because we've now got better structures around helping our youth our grassroots players develop see definitely the way the game is getting bigger and bigger obviously this is icing on the cake for us you know it's actually helping us to you know develop our cricket to the root level pushing ourselves each and every day because the competition is getting bigger and bigger.

20:34The pool of players are getting bigger. The exposure is getting bigger. You have to be on your toes and just keep making it happen. We have a problem in this country with when we have young talent. Let's say you have a 16-year-old footballer coming through, an 18-year-old footballer coming through, and they score one good goal. Suddenly, it'll be on the back pages of every newspaper. They'll be saying, is he as good as Messi? They'll be going, where's he going to make his big move to Real Madrid? We jump so many steps all the time. And you don't, again, a bit like what we were talking about before we came on, you don't think about the impact that has on the talent.

21:05You just think about how dramatic you can make this. For you, based on how cricket mad India is, a huge part of all of you being successful has to come down to surely your ability to appreciate the noise, but actually focus, internalize and not let a lot of the outside impact how you perform. I think there are a few aspects of it for sure. You know, when you're getting into the scene, you want to have that impact. Because as a kid, everyone likes you. You know, when you're an early kid, everyone likes you. Suddenly, after two, three years, you know, and as an athlete, the graph is always up and down.

21:46It just doesn't go like this. Unless you're Virat Kuli. Yeah. You know, and he's been exceptional throughout his career. But does he have an ability to focus that just allows him to not, again, be affected by that outside noise? Because the attention that he gets. I think you don't have a choice. I would say, like, if you start focusing on what's happening outside, you tend to forget. You have to, you know, because everything you do in your life will be questioned, will be challenged. Rather than it can be a sports thing, it can be a personal thing. but everything, every decision you are making is being challenged in a good way or in a bad way but at the same time, you know, you are still dealing with it every day and the bigger you become, the pressure is going to mount and he is someone who has been at the pinnacle.

22:41What I have seen in my career because I have seen him for last, you know, playing with him from last 8-9 years of international cricket, you know when you go overseas what it takes to win a match you know because when people talk about you know winning overseas also that's a mindset you know when someone is pushing that pedal so hard you know leading from the front you want your teammates you know follow that route and it's not easy to win overseas this is what i've understood in last eight nine years of international cricket winning overseas because you get when you're playing in local condition you know your home domestic condition you're so used to it because you have practiced it so many time that you get used to a certain thing but when you go overseas you would adjust to different kind of condition thought thought process tactical awareness you know the like you said the perspective becomes bigger and bigger and that's the challenge for us to you know get through that challenge and make things happen yeah brand pants when we talk about it right you you break it onto a scene you said you know the IPL child of the IPL you you come in you play across all formats when I think of you from a cricket perspective I mean everyone who listens I'm a big cricket fan right it's like showman entertainer something happens when you play the game particularly when that's applied into a test match type of environment it's not necessarily the brand that a lot of players have how do you view how you approach the game and play cricket one thing i've always felt in my mind i haven't reached my potential you know i'm getting there i'm getting i'm improving david for me it didn't matter that what i did for me it's always about giving my 200 percent not even 100 you know and i want to be as authentic as i can because i don't like filters see one thing for me is like i don't like filters too much so i be it on the ground, be it off the field, you know, I like to be myself.

24:52And I trust whatever I'm doing. Obviously, everything what I do in life can't be right. But it's not about always about right or wrong. You know, sometimes you have to explore. For me, this is uncharted territory. You know, never played international cricket as a kid. But, you know, growing through the years, up and down, you start learning. You start getting the exposure you never thought of you're going to get, you know. And then you figure out what's best way for me. Because everything, whatever is happening in life, is new to me. Like there is not someone from my home or my family who has done this.

25:31So yes, you can always have mentors, which I have. Like I have few of the world's best mentors for me, for sure. of the game on the game you know ms dhuni is definitely one of them so learning about you know the depth of the game i always felt you got to learn from the best in the business i have more chance of doing better if i learn from other people experience because i wanted to do everything very quickly in my life. But for doing that, you have to make a formula. For me, it's like, if I don't learn from other people experience, I can say I know this, but from inside, you know you don't. So having all the knowledge and then you make a road plan, how you want to take it forward.

26:27I think that's a clarity you have in mind and you make your move and move forward. You've been doing more and more work in business, should we say, right? work away from the pitch whether it's investing whether it's stock markets whether it's early stage companies lots of different things your foundation which of course you know we'll talk about properly but i'm just interested on that mindset you know i'd imagine we've talked about the value of athletes that kind of focus allows you to unlock all of this properly not not by chance not what we would call like half-assing it like doing it you know kind of well but not really well like fully committing yeah because you know as a kid i never thought you know i have to do business this that but you know as you keep on growing with time with exposure you understand like there is more to life you know and the more you talk with my father always told me one thing like when you start sitting with only your age group you're not improving he always wanted me to sit with you know people with more age more experience so I learn more I never understood as a kid I said why my father is telling me this like stay with older people I never understood that meaning last 10 years I did you know did understand that no what he was saying you know as a kid whatever we are listening from our parents we feel ah why why are they saying this but you know there is a lesson behind everything they say most of the time but as a kid we are like on our nine cloud, you know, not thinking about anything.

28:03We feel we know everything, but in life, it's not like that. So opening up my thought process about, you know, learning about the businesses, learning about different interests in my life, you know, family, friends, I think this is one vertical which has opened for me. And for me, for me, it's very fascinating. You know, I get to learn a lot. I'm someone who likes to learn a different kind of thing and for me when i'm talking about businesses and investment you know when you start opening up that you know vertical in your life your mindset becomes bigger and bigger yeah i mean really the reason why people don't like it is because they hate feeling uncomfortable that's a really cool thing that your dad said because it's just forcing you to grow to grow yeah to be uncomfortable to learn something but it's only uncomfortable i guess if you take it as that you take it as growth right you take it as i'm learning yeah so i don't know anything about it today but I'm going to know a lot about it next week.

28:58Because it's a step by step, you know, in one day you wouldn't know everything and in one day you will not forget everything. It's about, you know, step by step growing into the environment because I'm still very young. So the earlier you start, the better it is. I've seen a lot of athletes, you know, getting into all this kind of mindset very late in their, you know, careers. but I still want to focus on my cricket 200 % but whenever there is a time I want to occupy myself with a good thought that I'm building something I'm adding value to something and you know because everyone whom you are meeting is doing something good in life for sure like everyone I feel in their life is doing something good it's about finding that you know balance which I never had in my life because I was so focused.

29:55But, you know, it's part and parcel of the game. But it's not too late. You know, you speak as, you have it now and you're still playing and you're still right at the top of the game and you've just said beforehand that you don't feel like you've reached your potential. So you're doing all of this while challenging yourself not to finish your career nicely and like leave a legacy but to say, no, no, like I'm going to get better but I'm also going to do all of this on the side. Yeah. Because I feel what advantage I have as a kid is I got to start playing the sport very early. So there is an advantage for someone who has started playing the game very early that obviously you're still learning a lot.

30:37But at the same time, in the last eight, nine years of playing at the top level, you get to learn. I'm still 28, 29. I still got to learn so much. And I'm really excited. for the next five, seven years hold for me to unlock my full potential and take it to a different level. Like I'm so excited in every aspect of my life, be it cricket, be it business, be it lifestyle, you know, every way I feel that energy from inside that, oh, it's going to be crazy in the next five, 10 years for me. Do you remember the first time you picked up a bat? I do. Yeah. How old were you? maybe four years old yeah and from then on i mean again it seems from the outside i've been to india i've watched cricket in india i came out for the world cup in 2023 with my wife amazing right um i was in the wankalia in mumbai for you when you played sri lanka now i'd also been in amdabad right the amazing stadium 100 000 125 000 seater that stadium what 30 35 000 seats i've never heard a noise like it and you had i think it was either siraj or siraj and chamois or but yeah you guys and steaming it and the noises they were running in i mean the poor shlank and batsman i think you had them like they were three runs for five wickets or something down and i'm surprised they got three runs because i don't know how anyone could have sat in there and actually kept their head my point being there is just such that obsession with the sport that driving around in the taxi afterwards it was the kids playing on you know Mumbai there's that the massive long open every single kid on that grass yeah some had a cricket bat some didn't even have a cricket bat some just had like what looked like a branch off yeah right but it just seems like from the youngest of ages this is something that you absolutely obsess over that thought you know after a while what happens everyone starts with that thought you know from inside you love the game anywhere you get time you start playing it and for me that is important you know coming at the top level if you're not loving the game enough yeah then what's the point you know if you get you know chance to showcase your talent that the top stages of the world you know you have to enjoy that moment because a lot of time like you said like obviously you have to perform but that performance pressure that's why when people say focus on the process.

33:10So the thought is very simple. You are only thinking what can I do and give my 100 % because yes the you know the result is in the mind. Yes you want to win, you want to perform better and better at every day but you know otherwise the ups and downs are so much you have to be very clear that you are giving your 200 % because nothing is guaranteed. you might practice for two months every day no break nothing and you still score a zero and there might be a time when you might not give your 100 percent and you're still scoring runs so nothing is guaranteed but at the same time you give yourself the best chance with the commitment with the discipline with the focus that I'm giving myself the best chance to perform at the highest level and that you do every day in your mind how much of a focus if at all has money been and financial security and optimizing the talent while you're playing where you have it whether it's you being the highest paid player in the IPL or doing the biggest and best deals commercially with some really cool brands how's it how important has that been see there are two type of mindset for me you know when we talk about this thing like for me why I started playing cricket was I wanted to represent my country and I love the sport like anything like that's my you know as a kid that was my main goal and I you know you have few circles inside your heart and your brain you know this is the core circle for me then there is a circle outside where I see all this money coming but I don't know what to do with this.

34:53A lot of times this happens and maybe for first five few years I didn't even know. I only got to know after COVID after my accident that I have to focus on all this aspect of the game also because I never thought about it. But you start learning. You start getting better. Obviously you keep on talking to the best people available to you and I've been fortunate enough I had the right set of people who guide me through ups and down and keep me you know very grounded because see when you are talking with you know people with experience you are also not flying all the time but if you are flying you will get to know that bro this is not right you know that kind of mindset you know so for me surrounding myself with the right people actually helped me a lot so I can focus on my day-to-day life yeah and then you make circle like this is my core circle I want to enjoy cricket I want to play the fullest then you make another circle the money coming in I want to invest this money in the right way because see when you're focusing somewhere people scam you also at the same time and it has happened you know because you're not focusing you're like ah this is my guy that is my guy but sometimes because you're focused in cricket you're losing focus here and there but then you start thinking no I need to focus a little bit on other areas of life and then you you know start managing all this thing in a better way.

36:30Do you have people that help you with this and I mean from the early stage because again going back to how young you can be one of the biggest dangers in sport nowadays is that young athletes at the top of their game can make a lot of money very early. And as you've said, you don't necessarily know how to manage it. And we've seen situations where players then do not optimize a talent or do not reach the heights of the career they should do because they have suddenly been dragged into a world which they weren't prepared for. We can't stop talking about it because it's the root of everything. But again, for the profile of cricket in India and the exposure that you have, you probably have to check yourself.

37:04You have to have that grounding element. that do you consciously you know sometimes feel like you have to say right right rishab like feel on the ground focus yeah i think this is the very conversation which i'm very constant with you know so i don't want to think that oh rishab you're this or that yeah i just want to think that this is what it's in my hand obviously i will listen to the advice of the people i have around I will see around have my own thought process because I want people to build what I want to create instead of what they want me to create all the time you know a lot of time that can be a distraction you get caught up in a way where you are not creating anything you're just you know trying to soak in from everywhere and but you're not you I still want to do everything see this is what I tell my team all the time that I want you to make my thought process in a bigger way I don't want it to be other way around because nowadays because there are so many people around you yes you trust them but at the same time you want your personality to be the main guy in the mind because see sometimes every time you what you are thinking might not be politically right you know that's the hardest part like sometimes you forget when you're thinking too much as a human being like sometimes you have to be politically right there's that because sometimes the way you speak the way you think like everything is under scanner yeah so you can still feel at the bottom of your heart as a human being but there has some you know pros and cons of everything how do you feel about like that i mean even like this type of thing you know from from a media perspective again yeah it could be a real challenge for you to put the real you across see for me it's like i have a very he says shoving a microphone in front of it yeah like it's so funny for me because you know one thing one of my mentors like i've learned a lot from him and one thing is like i i don't do too much of medias and all you know whatever is picked there and there is okay but I try to keep a very low profile you know not going into the media all the time see I do it when I have to do it but most of the time I try not to expose myself because even if you are sometimes you know you're scared like you might be thinking in the best interest of everyone but you know the bigger perspective is not always right but at the same time you feel little shy that I don't know how it's going to be put up.

39:47I might be thinking best for you. But if you are in a different mindset, like you wouldn't take it in a positive way. So it's very hard to find that balance, especially for me. And when I feel the balance is not there, I try to stay away most of the time. And he taught me like keeping quiet is also good. So I'm working on that because I want to feel free. But being free comes with a lot of cost. You can be free only at your home. But when you're outside, everything matters. Good, bad, your movement, everything is under scanner. So you still want to be free? Not thinking about this all the time, but I've realized it that you have to be clear what you want to do.

40:35You have to move with precision. in your life and just you know enjoy whatever comes with it because anything what we are doing now is not the destination it's a journey we are on you know as an individual everyone is on different journey so i made a quote like international cricket is not a destination it's a journey because as a kid i had only one thought i want to play for india nothing else like there was no thought but i played for india when i was 19 now what then i wanted to play all three format i wanted to become best there's that like you know it's a mindset kind of thing but you have to keep on ticking boxes yes there is always a bigger goal and you have to you know as a human being you have to keep yourself busy and giving the better goals bigger goals and you know what you can't even imagine yeah life will make it happen for you like i always say you can't think big enough you can't like if 10 years 15 years as a kid if you would have asked me what you wanted to do now like if i would be sitting here i would have said i have no idea i wanted to make it like crazy but you know as a kid I only wanted to earn like two hundred thousand dollars that was my mindset you know because I am from a very small town from Uttarakhand you know there's a town called Roorkee so in our mindset was like I'll do a little FD and you know the interest will come and that kind of mindset because didn't get enough exposure outside never thought like in a different way.

42:25But I still like at the same time being calm, you know. In Hindi, we have a saying, you know, when you are getting all the success, fame, and everything, how difficult it to digest it, you know. That's the hardest part, you know. Because my wife, Mahindra Singh Dhoni, okay, he told me one thing like, you want to have success for one, two years? or you want to make your career for like 15, 20 years. It's up to you. So I think that stuck with me. And since then, you know, as a kid, I have never thought about what's the shortcoming. Always work on the bigger goal and just keep improving. You said that, you know, you're a kid and you just wanted to play for India.

43:15I mean, there was a lot of kids, hundreds of millions of kids who want to do that. You have to dream big to even think that because the percentage chance of you actually achieving it is tiny. So to then actually get there and then say, we often speak in sport, people say, once they achieve the thing that they aspire for, they kind of then are like, oh, it's either not as good as they thought it would be or they don't know how to deal with. How to deal. I think that's the hardest part I would say. Sometimes you don't know how to deal with it. And that is something you've got to navigate. it that's why like having the right people around you when you're going through all this thing and when you're upgrading each and every three months six months one year you need to have people who have seen it who know how to you know digest and and make your environment better for you because you don't want to have three four years career you want to have long careers for 15 20 years at least you represent your country because I feel proud to represent my country you know I get goosebumps whenever there is a national anthem happening you know on the field because it takes me back to as a kid you know when we used to do school prayers and all it gives that feeling wow like wow feeling from inside that and have that gratitude feeling that thank you God that I'm able to represent my country at the highest level.

44:46And there are times when you make your country win and what's biggest feeling sometimes doing that. When you're seven, eight years old and that's your goal, is it test match cricket? Was that the thing? See, for me, it was always about only cricket. I think that time there was never a conversation about white ball cricket and red ball cricket. I think the conversation I've started in last four or five years more now because the cricket like I said when things are growing how do you keep things in check it's harder you know a lot of things which are coming to cricket are new and the conversation will always you know shift from one way to another way but at the same time you know as a cricketer you want to play cricket at the fullest you know you don't want to think in a mindset that I can only play this or I can play only that because as a kid growing up, I think I would say I was too much ahead of the time because in my hometown, Rurki, we used to play 10-hour matches.