Former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop praises Rishabh Pant‘s selection in India’s T20 World Cup squad, citing the wicketkeeper’s remarkable comeback story. Ian Bishop lauds Pant‘s performance both before and after injury, emphasising his deserving place among India’s 15-man squad for the showpiece event in the USA and the West Indies.
Ian Bishop was a fearsome right-arm fast bowler for the West Indies in the late 80s and 90s, known for his express pace and devastating swing. Following Ian Bishop’s playing career, he transitioned into commentary, with his engaging insights and deep passion for the game, he has earned admiration both as a player and a commentator.
Rishabh Pant is known for his attacking style and fearless batting, he brought a much-needed X-factor to the Indian batting lineup along with his agility and reflexes as a wicketkeeper. Just after an impressive performance in the Bangladesh Test series, finishing as the fifth-highest run-scorer, Rishabh Pant met with a serious car accident in December 2022. This forced Rishabh Pant to miss a significant chunk of cricket, including the IPL 2023, Asia Cup, and the World Cup held in India. After a strong recovery, Pant’s back in top form, leading the Delhi Capitals in the 2024 IPL with 398 runs in his first 11 IPL matches, emerging as the leading scorer for the team.
Ian Bishop On Selected Indian Squad
Ian Bishop, a former West Indies cricketer, emphasised that Rishabh Pant’s inclusion in India’s T20 World Cup squad is well-deserved. The final squad, announced by the BCCI on April 30th, featured Pant and Sanju Samson as the team’s chosen wicketkeeper-batter choices for the tournament, beginning on June 1st in the West Indies. Pant’s remarkable return to form as well as captaining Delhi Capitals in the ongoing IPL 2024, further solidifies his comeback narrative and earns him a spot in the national team just a month after his return to cricket. Besides the veteran Ian Bishop, other experts also lauded the India selectors for rewarding Pant’s incredible show on his return to competitive cricket.
Ian Bishop On Pant
Speaking on a Star Sports show, Ian Bishop elaborated on how Rishabh Pant’s exceptional performance left the BCCI selection committee with no choice but to include him in their World Cup plans.
“He (Pant) is in the World Cup squad by right, based on what he has done before the injury and what he has done in this IPL in front of the stumps and behind too. His power, his innovation, his tempo and style will be a very good compliment to all of those guys in front of him and behind him. It is great for Rishabh, whose career could’ve ended in that accident, and great for world fans who have a lot of love for him,” Ian Bishop said.
India Squad for T20 World Cup 2024
The Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 15-member squad of India for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Here’s the squad:
Rohit Sharma (C), Yashashvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav. Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya (VC), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal. Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rimku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan
Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2024: Mithali Raj Selects Her India Squad For The Mega Event