When the India selectors picked Rishabh Pant in the 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, the question was whether the wicket-keeper batter could get back to his old form, especially after coming from a long injury, because of meeting the freak car-accident towards the end of 2022.
But he showed his calibre in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, leading the Delhi Capitals. Rishabh Pant finished the 17th season of the tournament with 446 runs in 13 innings at an average of 40.55, and a strike rate of 155.40. Besides celebrating three fifties, the Delhi-born also smashed 36 boundaries and 25 sixes in the competition.
When he took part in India’s only warm-up fixture against Bangladesh, Pant nailed a few great shots to celebrate his fifty before leaving the field. What he showed in that innings was his maturity, and how fit he still has competed.
Even during the first game of the T20 tournament against Ireland on June 05, at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, Pant remained unbeaten on 36 runs in 26 balls, at a strike rate of 138.46, as ended the game with a reverse scoop shot for a six.
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‘When you play for India then you feel proud to represent them that…’ – Rishabh Pant
The dynamic T20 batter, Rishabh Pant has nailed 1023 T20I runs in 57 innings, at an average of 23.25, and a strike rate of 126.76, with three half-centuries. The left-handed batter has smacked 89 boundaries and 39 over-boundaries so far in his 20-over career for India.
When it comes to the all-20-over game, the Delhi player has managed to collect 4836 runs in 182 innings, at an average of 32.24, and a strike rate of 145.70, with 25 fifties, and a couple of centuries. The 26-year-old has also drilled 223 sixes so far, along with 438 boundaries.
He was left out of the Indian team when they took on the Pakistan side during the last T20 World Cup 2024, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, as the inaugural champions picked up Dinesh Karthik.
On the popular TV news show called ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ before the India-Pakistan clash of the tournament, Pant was put in a tough position against a difficult question.
“Pakistan players keep their eyes on Rishabh Pant. Wahab Riaz said that Indians made him sit out in the last T20 World Cup if he had been part of Pakistan’s team, he would have surely played,” India TV’s editor-in-chief and the anchor of the show Rajat Sharma asked the wicket-keeper batter.
“When you play for India then you feel proud to represent them that you don’t even think about representing any other country,” 26-year-old Rishabh Pant responded instantly.
The conversation happened during the 2022 T20 World Cup when Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz made a statement that if Pant was in Pakistan team, there was no chance he would have warmed the bench, and that too for Karthik.
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‘Rishabh Pant is India’s best wicketkeeper-batter since MS Dhoni. He even has hundreds in England and Australia. If he was in the Pakistan team, would he sit outside in a World Cup match? No chance. India kept him out for Dinesh Karthik,” left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz told in an interview with News24 HD.
‘They know Pant is a good player who will score a lot of runs but he can’t be a finisher. At that specific number, they need a finisher. Pant might hit a couple of sixes but if he fails to finish the game, India will lose. That’s the way to go,” Veteran further added.
The DC captain will play this upcoming India-Pakistan game on June 09, at the Nassau Cricket Stadium, New York.