Delhi Capitals’ Australian head coach Ricky Ponting believes that franchise captain Rishabh Pant should go with the Indian team for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
Pant, who returned to competitive cricket through IPL 2024 after a 14-month recovery period, will be eager for the opportunity to be there in the US and West Indies. It will be his first major tournament with the Indian team since the 2022 T20 World Cup, in which he did not play a single match.
In less than 2 weeks, the Indian men’s chief selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, will announce the Indian team for the upcoming World T20. To be selected and noticed, some international and many non-international players are trying their best to be considered.
While the main team will be the same that played in the 50-over World Cup last year, all eyes will be on whether Rishabh Pant makes the cut or not.
Rishabh Pant is among the wicketkeeper-batsman options available for India, along with Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson. There is also Ishan Kishan, but the main fight will be between Pant and Samson for that spot.
But reports in the last two weeks have suggested that the DC captain is already in the provisional 10-man squad along with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav, among others.
Ricky Ponting says Rishabh Pant’s batting has improved and his self-confidence has also increased
While speaking to reporters ahead of Delhi Capitals’ upcoming home match against Gujarat Titans tomorrow, Ricky Ponting made big revelations about Rishabh Pant.
Ponting first said that Pant’s batting has improved quite a bit than earlier this season and his self-confidence about his body has also increased.
Ponting had observed that Pant was a little anxious about the state of his body and whether he would be able to keep wickets well or not.
But now, almost a month since he played his first game since that horrific car accident in December 2022, Rishabh Pant’s wicketkeeping has improved and he can believe in himself and his abilities better.
“I think his batting is getting better and better with the game. I think he’s also started to have a bit more confidence and belief in his body. I think from the beginning he was a bit apprehensive, especially with his wicketkeeping side . . I had hit a little before the tournament.”
“He was quite confident with the bat in his hand. But now, his keeping skills behind the stumps have been really good.” – Ricky Ponting told reporters at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Ponting says Pant will be in Indian team ‘for sure’
Ponting then claimed that Pant has every chance of being in India’s 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup as the former believes Pant is too good not to be selected. Ponting said that Rishabh Pant is more than capable of making a big impact for the Indian team.
“His batting is getting better and better with the game. And now that he is back playing, what I think about his World Cup chances, I think he will surely be there in that team. He is too good a player and he can have too much impact on the game so that India does not select him in the team. – Ponting concluded.