In Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting’s Indian team for the upcoming T20 World Cup, Rishabh Pant will feature “every day of the week” despite some established keeper-batters staking claim with their exploits in the ongoing IPL. Ricky Ponting was not sure whether Rishabh Pant would be able to play again after the horrific car accident in December 2022.
Rishabh Pant indeed has defied all odds physically after an horrifying accident making him fit to play as Delhi Capitals skipper and wicket keeper and is amongst runs and his usual hitting spree this season. None for the second it is been thought that Rishabh Pant is the same guy who was caught almost in a non moving condition a year ago.
Rishabh Pant’s tryst with destiny
In cricket some destinies are destined , Hardly anyone knew that the hero of the famous Gabba win and the swashbuckling middle order wicket keeper batter in Tests Rishabh Pant would meet the fate of destiny to halt his cricketing journey for a brief period of time. The Indian team who had the torrid time in ICC events in 2023 and by year end a horrified test match vs South Africa had surely remembered and missed Rishabh Pant.
As fate could have it on the morning of December 30 2022, Rishabh Pant on his way back home met with a fateful accident and had a lucky escape. However this accident indeed turned out to be fateful for the Indian Cricket Team over the next year 2023 as Indian selection committee was caught in dilemma to replace a player like caliber of Pant who with his pyrotechnics with the bat could swing the game anytime in team’s favour especially in red ball cricket.
Rishabh Pant through his flamboyance in the tour down under 2021-22 and the English tour months later had already made a mark in the mind of former cricketers and India seemed to have found an able hitter at No 6 who could now be compared to likes of Adam Gilchrist of Australia changing the facet of how test cricket could be played.
Pant (26) had a lucky escape after he was severely injured in a car accident that took place on the morning of December 30, 2022. The stumper’s car collided with a divider on the Delhi-Dehradun highway.
Rishabh Pant’s return to usual self in IPL 2024.
Rishabh Pant’s remarkable journey to full fitness for the IPL, following a life-threatening car accident 14 months prior, has silenced any lingering doubts about his abilities. Despite a cautious start with the bat, the talented and composed cricketer swiftly regained his form, showcasing his trademark efficiency behind the stumps and his audacious stroke play. Far from being subdued by his time away from the game, Pant’s absence seems to have sharpened his unorthodox style and playful demeanor.
Embracing his second chance with gratitude, the DC captain has approached his game with a newfound sense of adventure, balanced with maturity, evident in his performance for the struggling Capitals.
Amidst the team’s challenges, Rishabh Pant has emerged as a reliable force, amassing an impressive 194 runs at a strike rate of 157.72, including 16 fours and 11 sixes, in just 123 deliveries. India’s options diminish past the top four batsmen, making Rishabh Pant’s left-handed batting style and flexibility as a floater even more valuable. After recuperating, Pant has demonstrated his peak physical condition and form, establishing himself as a standout choice. Despite competition from players like Sanju Samson, Pant’s prowess is undeniable.
DC head coach Ricky Ponting has backed star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, saying that the Delhi captain should be included in India’s squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
Sensational Rishabh Pant deserves to be a part of India’s WT20 squad reckons Ricky Ponting
DC head coach Ricky Ponting has backed star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, saying that the Delhi captain should be included in India’s squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Despite acknowledging the depth in India’s cricket talent, particularly in the wicketkeeping-batsman role with players like Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and KL Rahul in good form, Ponting unequivocally asserted that if he were to select a team, Rishabh Pant would be a consistent choice.
In Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting’s Indian team for the upcoming T20 World Cup, Rishabh Pant will feature “every day of the week” despite some established keeper-batters staking claim with their exploits in the ongoing IPL. Ponting was not sure whether Pant would be able to play again after the horrific car accident in December 2022.
But seeing the manner in which Pant has been making an impact since returning to action on the back of his remarkable resilience, the DC head coach is left with no doubt about who should board the plane to New York at the end of the IPL.
“Do I believe whether Rishabh should be there in the World Cup squad? Absolutely I do. He deserves to be in that WT20 squad by the end of the IPL,” Ponting told PTI in an exclusive interview.
“I think we have seen Rishabh play the way we have seen him play in last five or six years in IPL, and now back playing for India,” added the Australian batting great.
While he acknowledged that there are lots of options for Indian selectors as far as choosing a keeper-batter goes, Pant remains the No.1 choice for him.
“One thing we certainly know that there is lot of depth around Indian cricket. With keeper-batters, I feel some guys are in really good form at the moment. (Ishan) Kishan is playing well, (Sanju) Samson is playing well and KL Rahul is playing well.
“There are a lot of options but if I was picking a team, I would have Rishabh Pant in it every day of the week,” the ‘Punter’ made his call.
Since his entry as DC coach, Ponting has shared a special bond with Pant and he is a touch emotional seeing him in full flow once again.
“Rishabh’s comeback to international cricket is nothing short of remarkable. I spent a lot of time with him during last IPL and a lot of us were actually skeptical that whether he will actually play the game again, such a horrific accident and I had spoken to him about it, I wasn’t sure whether he will play again.” But like with all champions, Pant refused to throw in the towel.
“There was never any doubt in his mind that he will be back playing again. As each game goes by, we are starting to see a better and better version of Rishabh Pant, his batting has had more impact in last couple of games compared to start of the tournament, he is starting to move well behind the stumps,” the coach sounded ecstatic.
Such words of encouragement from legendary player Ricky Ponting himself might boost Rishabh Pant’s confidence in the remainder of the IPL so as to cement his place in the flight to T20 World Cup in June.