(Rishab Pant X)
Rishabh Pant embarked on his journey alongside a contingent of the Indian squad to the United States of America in preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup. This marks Pant’s return to the Indian side for the first time since December 2022.
Rishabh Pant, the wicketkeeper-batsman and captain of Delhi Capitals, departed alongside a segment of the Indian cricket team on Saturday, May 25th, for the T20 World Cup 2024. Pant was accompanied by notable players such as Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, and the team’s head coach Rahul Dravid. Notably, this marked Pant’s first appearance alongside his fellow Indian players since his involvement in a road accident back in December 2022.
Before departing, Rishabh shared a photo on his social media platform, accompanied by the caption “Back with the blues.” His selection for the Indian team came after he demonstrated his fitness during the Indian Premier League 2024. Noteworthy was Rishabh’s impressive performance both with the bat and behind the stumps, indicating promising signs for his role as a wicketkeeper-batsman and captain.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India also shared pictures on Twitter, capturing India players waiting in the Mumbai airport lounge before their departures. Notably missing from the squad were Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya. According to Vikrant Gupta of Sports Tak, Virat was delayed due to paperwork issues, while other media outlets indicated that Hardik Pandya was currently in London and would link up with the Indian squad directly in the USA.
India’s inaugural match in the T20 World Cup 2024 is scheduled for June 5th against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. This stadium, freshly constructed solely for the event, showcases the dedication to hosting top-tier cricket tournaments.
When is the rest of the Indian team scheduled to depart?
Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, and Yashasvi Jaiswal are set to depart with the next group of Indian cricketers. Their recent participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 concluded after Rajasthan Royals (RR) lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Qualifier 2 on May 24th at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The third group of players will depart after the IPL final.
India squad for T20 World Cup
Batters: Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav.
Wicketkeepers: Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson.
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja.
Bowlers: Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
