Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri recently revealed his biggest surprise from the recent ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in West Indies and United States of America (USA). Ravi Shastri stated that he was surprised by Rishabh Pant’s return to international cricket after a horrific car accident.

Rishabh Pant met with a life-threatening car accident on December 30, 2022. He underwent surgeries and rehabilitation before making his comeback for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Pant earned selection in the World Cup squad after impressing as a batsman and wicket-keeper in the IPL 2024 season.

The 26-year-old batted at No. 3 while Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma opened the innings. The left-handed batsman scored 36 and 42 against Ireland and Pakistan in the first two games. However, his performance dipped towards the end. He finished as India’s third-highest run-scorer, amassing 171 runs in eight innings.

Back from the jaws of death – Ravi Shastri

In a video shared by ICC on Instagram, Ravi Shastri picked Rishabh Pant as his biggest surprise of the T20 World Cup. Shastri praised Pant’s efforts in returning from a serious injury. The former all-rounder noted that Pant put in impressive performances both as a batsman and a wicket-keeper.

“For me, Rishabh Pant. Because, let’s face it, we all know how talented he is and what he can do. But for him to come back after that injury, to really come out of nowhere, from the jaws of death, to come out and then respond and play the way he did. He was sent to the No. 3 spot, with that added responsibility. He did his job with the bat, but it was his staying power that really surprised everyone,” Shastri said.

“For someone to recover so quickly and then move like he did. He hardly missed anything, although he must have felt the pressure as the tournament progressed because it’s not easy to come back and do everything he did. I think that was the most refreshing thing and a surprise as well, especially the keep,” Shastri added.

The Indian team won a thrilling final over South Africa by seven runs at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on June 29. Rishabh Pant failed to make a significant contribution with the bat in the final match. The left-hander was dismissed for a duck after taking just two balls from left-handed bowler Keshav Maharaj.

The Delhi cricketer took 13 catches and lost one ball in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Pant was not named as the T20I captain after Rohit Sharma retired from the format. Suryakumar Yadav was named as the captain of the Indian team with an eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka.

Rishabh Pant is part of India’s squad for the upcoming three-match series against Sri Lanka. He will compete with KL Rahul for a place in the starting XI during the first ODI, which will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Friday, August 2.

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