16 kgs in 4 months: The magic diet behind Rishabh Pant's remarkable journey to T20 World Cup 2024 squad

Wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant has recently been named in India's 15 man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. The global event is set to kick off from June one in the United States of America and West Indies, while India will play their first match of the tournament against Pakistan on June 4 at New York Stadium. 

Just a month ago Rishabh Pant was not sure of participating in the ongoing 17th season of Indian Premier League as a wicket-keeper batter, however, the young cricketer’s road to recovery has been phenomenal. Pant has successfully led his IPL franchise Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024, while giving stellar performances with the bat and behind the wickets. 

A few weeks ago ahead of the commencement of IPL season, Rishabh Pant talked about his desire to join the India camp soon. He said, "I can't wait to get back into the Indian dressing room and enjoy the feeling with my teammates. I have left no stone unturned to do that. I ensured nobody gets a chance to complain about any aspect of my game."

Rishabh Pant’s calorie deficit diet boosts his recovery process for T20 World Cup 2024

In a recent interview with Times of India, a close source revealed Rishabh Pant’s diet which helped and boosted his recovery process which landed him the prestigious spot in the Indian squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The source cited an example and revealed that was given only a thousand calories a day if his body demanded 1400 cal per day which made him drop 16 kilos in 4 months.

"He adopted a calorie-deficit diet in late December. If his body demanded 1400 calories a day, he was given around 1000 calories. It was tough on him since he had to train very hard to gain match-fitness and had to strengthen the muscles on his injured right leg," TOI revealed. 

The source highlighted that panth wanted to focus on his recovery by eating home cooked food which made him shift from a hotel to a rented apartment in Bengaluru during his time at the NCA (National Cricket Academy). 

"Pant wanted flavor in his food. That's why he moved into a rented house in Bengaluru while he was at the NCA, instead of a hotel. He preferred home-cooked food. He was allowed only 5 ml of extra virgin olive oil. He couldn't give up his love for chilly chicken. So, a recipe was derived to make it with that much oil. Goan bhindi was one of his favorites," the source added. 

Rishabh will be seen leading Delhi Capitals during the team’s upcoming match against Rajasthan Royals in Delhi on May 7.