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Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri recently shared his surprise regarding Rishabh Pant’s journey in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 held in the West Indies and the United States of America. Shastri highlighted Pant’s remarkable return to international cricket following a serious car accident.
Rishabh Pant faced a life-threatening car accident on December 30, 2022, undergoing extensive surgeries and rehabilitation. His impressive performances in the IPL 2024 season earned him a spot in the World Cup squad, where he took on the role of batting at No. 3 while Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma opened the innings.
Pant showcased his prowess with scores of 36 and 42 against Ireland and Pakistan respectively in the initial matches. Despite a slight downturn in form later in the tournament, he emerged as India’s third-highest run-scorer, accumulating 171 runs in eight innings.
Come Back From The Jaws Of Death – Ravi Shastri
In a video posted on ICC’s Instagram, Ravi Shastri singled out Rishabh Pant as the standout performer of the T20 World Cup. Shastri commended Pant for his remarkable comeback from a serious injury, highlighting his exceptional contributions with the bat and behind the stumps as a wicketkeeper.
“For me, Rishabh Pant. Because, let’s face it, we all know how talented he is, and what he can do. But for him to come back after that injury, to really come back from nowhere, from the jaws of death to come out, and then respond and play in the fashion he did. He was sent at No. 3, given that extra responsibility. He did his job with the bat, but it was his keeping that really surprised everyone,” Shastri said.
“For someone to recover that quickly and then move the way he did. He hardly missed anything, albeit he must have felt the pressure as the tournament went on because it’s not easy to come back and do all the stuff he did. I thought it was the most refreshing thing and a surprise as well, especially the keeping,” Shastri added.
India clinched a thrilling victory over South Africa in the T20 World Cup final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29, winning by seven runs. Rishabh Pant, however, had a quiet outing with the bat in the final match, getting dismissed for a duck after facing just two deliveries from left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj.
During the T20 World Cup 2024, the Delhi cricketer showcased his prowess as a wicketkeeper, taking 13 catches and executing a stumping. Despite his contributions, Pant was not chosen as the T20I captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format. Instead, Suryakumar Yadav was appointed captain with an eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup, set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Looking ahead, Rishabh Pant is part of India’s squad for the upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka. He faces competition from KL Rahul for a spot in the playing XI for the first ODI scheduled at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, August 2.
