The day has finally come when batsman Rishabh Pant will return to competitive cricket for the first time since he suffered the tragic car accident in December 2022. He will be relied upon for his captaincy, his wicket-keeping, his Delhi Capitals, and of course , his extravagant batting. In that sense, the former England pacemaker Broad Stuart who is doing commentary work for IPL 2024, stated that Pant is the most fearless batsman he has ever bowled.
Stuart Broad is here in India for the first time to comment for the IPL 2024 edition that began last night with the clash between CSK and RCB. Broad, who is part of Star Sports’ commentary entourage for this season, revealed that during his playing days, Rishabh Pant was the most fearless batsman he bowled to.
Stuart Broad says people shouldn’t be surprised if Rishabh Pant tries to score a boundary on the first ball
The English right-arm pacer who retired after registering 604 Test wickets, stated that people should not be surprised if Rishabh Pant tries to score a boundary with the first ball he faces on his comeback. That’s the type of Pant we all know and it will be great to see the 26-year-old represent his comeback in that way.
“Rishabh Pant is the bravest batsman I have ever played against, don’t be surprised if he tries to hit a boundary on the first ball,” Stuart Broad said via Star Sports.
It will simply be his third full season as captain of Delhi Capitals and first since 2022. In his first year as captain in 2021, Rishabh Pant led the Capitals to finish first in the points table by 10 games and lose 4 with a total. 20 points under his belt.
Pant had experienced his third most prolific IPL season with the bat, scoring 419 runs at an average of 34.91 and three half-centuries. Then in 2022, Pant could score just 340 runs in 14 league matches at a much better strike rate of 151.79, but he didn’t have even a half-century to his name.
So, this season, Rishabh Pant will aim to not only fight and try to gain good form but also ensure that he kills the demons of the 2022 season. It won’t be fair to say it, but Pant must ensure that he experiences a season where he can score at least 500+ runs because he is playing for another goal apart from helping DC win the IPL title.
Pant will also compete for a place in the Indian team for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the US and West Indies. He will be desperate to be an option when the chief selectors meet to determine the 15-man squad for the WC T20 starting from June 1.
Delhi Capitals updated IPL 2024 squad
Rishabh Pant (c), Tristan Stubbs, Abishek Porel, Kumar Kushagra, Ricky Bhui, Shai Hope, Prithvi Shaw, Yash Dhull, Swastik Chikara, David Warner, Pravin Dubey, Axar Patel, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Sumit Kumar , Anrich Nortje, Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jhye Richardson, Rasikh Salem