New Delhi, April 18: Rishabh Pant is a match winner. He can destroy any world-class bowling line-up, if he gets going. He has improved his wicket-keeping skills much better than what it was in his early days of career.
He was firing on all cylinders and was a certainty for India's scheme of things for ODI World Cup 2023. But then, the tragic car accident in 2022 derailed his life for almost two years.
Being a fighter, Rishabh fought back brilliantly. Stunning everyone, he is back on cricket field again. In Indian Premier League 2024, Rishabh appears to be in his old self. He is busy leading Delhi Capitals, mesmerising fans with his excellent gloves work behind the stumps and sending the cricket ball out of the boundary as a batter.
That is Rishabh Pant we know for years. The million dollar question remains is he a certainty for India in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup?
Well, former England captain Kevin Pietersen thinks he will get better with more match time.
His fitness and efforts behind the stumps during the match against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Wednesday were superb. He took two catches and effected as many stumping. He dived full stretch to his left for taking a low catch of David Miller, followed by successfully changing the decision on review. He also took a high catch of Rashid Khan to ensure GT’s last scoring hope was gone before reaching three figures.
"His mobility tonight was something that will give him great encouragement, which will also encourage Team India. Of course, he needs game time, as everyone does when coming back from an injury. He's returning from a horrific injury, so game time is crucial for him.
"To prepare for the T20 World Cup, he should play these 14–15 IPL games because it's significant leading into a T20 World Cup. If he plays that much cricket, he will be ready," said Pietersen on Star Sports Cricket Live
Pant used his bowlers well to ensure GT bowled out for just 89 on a slow black-soil pitch. DC then finished off the chase in 8.5 overs, with Pant being 16 not out to pick the Player of the Match award for a terrific all-round performance.
"Yeah, the first three bowlers actually bowled beautifully this evening and the way that Rishabh Pant marshalled his troops was exceptional because you want to see one bowler bowling one over and another bowling another and they keep changing with five or six bowlers bowling in the first powerplay whereas Rishabh Pant said no, I am going to back my strike bowlers and I'm going to back the guys that are doing well for me, they are very good with the new ball and I want them to really bury GT. And that's exactly what Delhi did, they buried GT in the power-play," Pietersen further said.
Cricket fans in India and across the world would love to see Rishabh Pant in action in the global cricket event later this year. If he is available, then that surely will be a great news for India and a bit of extra headache for opponents.
The reason is simple. Rishabh has nearly beaten death to play cricket again. He almost did the impossible to be where he loves to be and do whatever he loves most. That is, to play his favourite sports in front of house full cricket fans in a cricket stadium. (With IANS support)
