India's star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has advised young cricketers to focus on representing their country instead of prioritising the glamour of the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

Pant, who made his international debut in 2017 after being part of India's Champions Trophy-winning squad, believes that success in IPL will come naturally if one aims higher.

"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 said in an interview with JioHotstar on Tuesday.

Pant, now 27, reflected on his journey, crediting his unwavering ambition to play for India as the reason behind his success. "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 dynamic cricketer has been making headlines recently after earning a nomination for the prestigious Laureus World Sports Award 2025 in the 'Comeback of the Year' category. The nomination comes following his remarkable return to cricket after surviving a near-fatal car accident in December 2022. The awards ceremony is set to take place in Madrid on April 21.

Pant's accident occurred on the Delhi-Dehradun highway when his car collided with a road divider. The cricketer, who was on his way to Roorkee, suffered multiple injuries, including trauma to his head, back, and feet. After initial treatment in Dehradun, he was airlifted to Mumbai for specialist care under the BCCI's medical team. Extensive surgeries were performed to reconstruct all three ligaments in his right knee before he began his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.