When India wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant was not included in India’s squad for ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, it had created a lot of noise. The wicket-keeper had a breakthrough IPL 2018 season, and he was backed to be the X-factor player in the Indian cricket team but couldn’t mark the original squad.
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India batter Shikhar Dhawan got injured midway through the tournament, and Pant came in as his replacement. He got his opportunity to bat in the middle-order, and he got some starts as well. In the four matches that Pant played, he managed to score 116 runs at an average of 29.
In the semi-final against New Zealand, Pant batted at No. 4, and he was on the pitch in the third over itself. India lost the wickets of their star batting duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for just five runs. The wickets kept tumbling at the other end, but Pant was looking fairly decent with the bat in hand.
Rishabh Pant once got support from Yuvraj Singh when Kevin Pietersen bashed him
Pant, against his usual approach, was batting at 32* (55) but then his patience ended. In trying to smash New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner, he gave an easy catch to all-rounder Colin de Gradhomme at the cow corner. The shot was against the run of play, and it was criticized by many.
Former England batter Kevin Pietersen had called it ‘pathetic’ and said that he was not picked in the Indian team initially for the very same reason. However, former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh had come in Pant’s support and insisted the shot was not pathetic, and the Indian southpaw will get better with time. Then Indian captain Kohli also supported Pant.
“How many times have we seen @RishabPant777 do that?????!!!!! The very reason he wasn’t picked initially! Pathetic!,” Pietersen had tweeted.
“He’s played 8 Odis! It’s not his fault he will learn and get better it’s not pathetic at all! However, we all are entitled to share our opinions,” Yuvraj Singh tweeted in response to Pietersen’s tweet.
India eventually lost the match, and the decision to send former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni at No. 7 was also censured. If truth be told, India were also wrong in promoting Dinesh Karthik over Dhoni that day.
Yuvraj Singh met injured Rishabh Pant
Singh recently met Pant, who is in his rehab after a horrific accident. The all-rounder from Punjab said that Pant will be back on the field soon, and the ‘champion’ will rise again.
The exact date with respect to Pant’s return to action is unconfirmed for now. That he said, he is definitely out of Indian Premier League 2023. Australia batter David Warner will lead the Delhi Capitals in his absence.
