Former Indian cricketer and cricket pundit Sanjay Manjrekar praised Rishabh Pant’s adaptability and guile after he scored an impressive fifty on the tricky pitch of the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York in the thrilling warm-up match for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 against Bangladesh.
The left-handed batsman stole the show with a brilliant half-century after early dismissals shook the Indian batting order. With opener Sanju Samson getting out after a single run and Rohit Sharma struggling at the crease, Pant’s furious knock injected a much-needed boost into Team India’s innings against Bangladesh.
Rishabh Pant shines in T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up match against Bangladesh
Pant unleashed a display of aggressive batting prowess, hitting four sixes and an equal number of boundaries in just 32 deliveries en route to his 53-run knock against Bangladesh as the pitch offered challenges to the batsmen in New York.
His electrifying knock propelled India to an impressive total of 182/5, setting the stage for a dominant victory for the Men in Blue. The Indian bowlers then took advantage of Pant’s stellar innings, restricting Bangladesh to a meager 122/9.
Shivam Dube and Arshdeep Singh emerged as the architects of Bangladesh’s downfall, each claiming two wickets to ensure a convincing victory for the Indian cricket team in the warm-up match.
Commenting on Pant’s exceptional performance in the warm-up of the T20 World Cup 2024, Manjrekar praised Pant for showing his streetwise approach and quickly assessing the situation. The commentator was also impressed by his ability to thrive under pressure in a challenging field.
Rishabh Pant is extremely street smart: Sanjay Manjrekar
Manjrekar further mentioned Pant’s remarkable ability to improve his game in challenging conditions, highlighting his explosive strike rate of nearly 200 on a tough pitch against Bangladesh in New York.
While Pant’s record in T20Is is modest on paper, Manjrekar emphasized that his exceptional innings in the T20 World Cup warm-up match demonstrated what he brings to the Indian cricket team.
Sanjay Manjrekar said on Star Sports: “The pitch was a bit difficult when he came to bat. We saw Sanju Samson get out after scoring just one run off six balls. Then he (Pant) came and his specialty is that he is extremely astute and assesses very quickly what needs to be done. He is a run-scoring batsman with a strike rate of almost 200 on a difficult pitch. This is Rishabh Pant’s specialty. His record in T20Is is very average, an average close to 20 and a strike rate of 120 or less, but today we saw what this guy can do.”
On the other hand, former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar highlighted the significant difference in Pant’s approach against spinners in the warm-up match against Bangladesh.
Bangar admitted that Pant’s aggressive strokeplay, including four boundaries and four sixes, caught the eye, but highlighted the importance of Pant’s patience at the start of his innings in New York.
Bangar further pointed out that Pant, contrary to the notion that he tends to attack spinners from the beginning, showed patience, avoided attacking initially and took his time, especially against spinners, which really helped him. He feels that he helped him assess the situation well and calm down.