Rishabh Pant was a fair surprise at the No. 3 spot in the Indian batting lineup for their T20 World Cup 2024 opener against Ireland on June 5, Wednesday.
India’s batting lineup for their T20 World Cup opener against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium drew much attention. Virat Kohli opened the batting alongside Indian skipper Rohit Sharma.
India chose not to open with Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal, as is customary. With Kohli promoted as opener, most expected Suryakumar Yadav to bat next.
But Pant came out to bat at number three and scored the winning runs for India. Rathour stated after the match that he could continue to play the role because he helps form a left-right hitting combination.
“Yes” – Vikram Rathour confirms Rishabh Pant will bat at the no.3 spot in T20 World Cup 2024
Pant returned to international cricket after surviving a horrific accident in December 2022. He couldn’t handle the track’s enormous bounce and took punches on his arm.
Overall, Pant has been having a purple patch with the bat over the past two months. He finished unbeaten on 36 from 26 balls, including three boundaries and two massive sixes.
Pant’s effort enabled India to finish the chase with just 97 runs with over seven overs remaining. Virat Kohli (1) and Suryakumar Yadav (2) did not get much batting practice, while Pant (36 not out) performed admirably in his debut as No. 3.
During the post-match press conference, India batting coach Vikram Rathour confirmed that Rishabh Pant will bat at the No. 3 spot in the ongoing tournament.
“Yes, he has been batting really well. In the two games he has played, he has looked really, really good. So yes, at the moment he is our number three and it helps that he is the left-hander,” Rathour said at the post-match press conference.
However, the playing conditions and varied bounce provided by the drop-in pitch raise concerns about the Nassau County ground’s readiness for the tournament’s most high-profile game in three days in New York.
There were balls flying off from length and a handful that did not rise above knee roll, and in these conditions, every hitter felt like they could be injured, whether it was in the biceps like Rohit or the forearm and knuckles like Pant.
India will play Pakistan on Sunday, June 9, in Nassau County.
Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: Sunil Gavaskar Backs Virat Kohli To Score Heavily Against Pakistan