Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels that India head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma did a very good job in sending Rishabh Pant for 3 in the T20 World Cup.
At first, this measure was criticized by many people. Rishabh Pant was said to be an abject failure at the No. 3 position. The same group was backing the team’s other wicketkeeper, Sanju Samson, to be picked ahead of him if they wanted a suitable batsman to replace Virat Kohli at 3.
However, what finally happened was something that no one expected. Rishabh Pant adjusted instantly and struck in the first over position. Ever since this new batting order was first implemented during the 2024 T20 World Cup warm-up match against Bangladesh, Pant has been one of the best players in the Indian team.
In the group stage, Rishabh Pant has been the best batsman for the Indian team, scoring 96 runs in 3 matches against Ireland, Pakistan and the United States. His best shot 42 runs occurred in high-voltage Indo-Pak clash at Nassau County Stadium in New York, where the Indians’ batting order had suffered a tragic collapse. Pant was the one who stood up to the task and acted like a mature and reliable player.
Sanjay Manjrekar praises Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma for new batting order
While speaking to Star Sports recently, Sanjay Manjrekar praised the captain-coach duo of Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma. Manjrekar is completely impressed with the adjustments they made in the batting order, leaving Yashasvi Jaiswal in the dugout for Virat Kohli to open the innings with Rohit.
The other masterstroke for which Sanjay Manjrekar is very grateful to the team management is moving Rishabh Pant up the order. The left-hand wicketkeeper batsman usually plays at number 4, 5 or below and also played in the same role for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024.
The way Rishabh Pant has adapted and adjusted as a No. 3 batsman is simply exceptional. Sanjay Manjrekar, in fact, did not expect Pant to bat at 3, but he feels it was an excellent idea.
“They (team management) want more and more impact players, in every position of the order and Rishabh Pant, I didn’t expect him to be batting at number 3, and what a brilliant move it turned out to be, starting from that warm-up match against Bangladesh, when Samson and Rohit Sharma took some time to get used to the surface,” Manjrekar told Star Sports.
Manjrekar applauds Pant for showing his class in difficult conditions
Sanjay Manjrekar then especially praised Rishabh Pant for being able to show his class in the tough conditions on offer in New York. The descending surface proved to be very difficult for the batsmen to score runs, but despite all the odds, Pant managed to find his way and help his team prevail in difficult situations.
“Pant has shown his class. He has been India’s best batsman in this tournament so far, and on a difficult pitch, and that is Rishabh Pant’s class,” Sanjay Manjrekar concluded.
