Riding on swashbuckling Rishabh Pant's flowing half-century and fast bowlers's pace assault India made an early statement in the T20 World Cup with a 60-run victory in a warm-up match against Bangladesh at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Pant reinforced his case for a berth in India's starting XI at the T20 World Cup as the primary wicketkeeper hitter with a flowing half-century while Hardik Pandya flexed some big shots hinting at his return to form, smashing three consecutive maximums off left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam.
In the recently concluded Indian Premier League, the 35-year-old who featured for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the Orange Cap for scoring most runs in the 17th edition of the cash-rich league.
Pant, who returned to competitive cricket during the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year following a life-threatening road accident back in December 2022, will be making his much-awaited return to the blue colours of the Indian jersey.
The BCCI on Tuesday took to X (Twitter) to post a video of wicketkeeper-batter giving his fans a glimpse of his new look in the blue jersey with an expressive message.
Pant on Monday featured on the second episode of 'Dhawan Karenge,' a talk show hosted by Indian opening batter, Shikhar Dhawan on JioCinema. During the episode, the 26-year-old cricketer shared his experience after sustaining life-threatening injuries from a horrific accident that left him w
Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting has labelled Rishabh Pant's roaring comeback to professional cricket after a major car accident as "nothing short of spectacular."
The T20 World Cup will start on June 1 and will be played in venues in the USA and the Caribbean till June 29. Rinku has not made it to the main squad but is included in the reserves.
The 26-year-old scored 446 runs in 13 IPL matches this season. Pant's batting prowess in the IPL 2024 has earned him a spot in India's main 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup next month as one of their two wicketkeeper options.