India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant had a terrific performance in the first round of the ongoing Duleep Trophy 2024. Playing for India B, the wicketkeeper-batsman was right on target with the bat and gloves behind the stumps at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Rishabh Pant made a grand return to red-ball cricket after more than a year. The wicketkeeper-batsman took some fantastic catches behind the stumps and proved his fitness in the longest format of the game, having returned to the white-ball a few months ago.
Rishabh Pant took a brilliant catch in the second innings to remove Avesh Khan, and it was certainly a special catch. The wicketkeeper-batsman played a magical game and that effort almost took the team a step beyond the finishing line.
On the fourth ball of the 51st over, Navdeep Saini bowled a short delivery down the leg side of the wicket. Avesh Khan tried to get it well but managed to get a glove on it as the ball headed towards wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant behind the stumps.
Pant dove to his left and caught a brilliant ball to remove Avesh Khan. The India A player could not make a bigger impact with the bat as he scored just 3 runs in 11 balls and with his wicket, the team lost its ninth wicket and came under pressure.
Rishabh Pant takes a brilliant catch to dismiss Avesh Khan
Here is the video:
Rishabh Flying Pants! ✈️
A great catch to send off Avesh Khan 👌#DuleepTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank
Dashboard ▶️ pic.twitter.com/VlTwoWY9o9
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) September 8, 2024
After the wicket of Avesh Khan, India B made sure to take the remaining wicket as soon as possible. They removed Akash Deep (43), who was bowling very well. Musheer Khan removed him and India B sealed the game by a margin of 76 runs and bagged 6 important points.
Rishabh with the bat played a vital role in the second innings after failing in the first. The wicketkeeper-batsman finished with an innings of 61 runs off 47 balls. He also hit 9 fours and 2 sixes in his innings, which helped the team take a massive lead of over 250 runs.
India B captain Abhimanyu Easwaran spoke about the win and said that it was a special win for them especially after having a record of 90/7. Talking about the upcoming match, he said that they will take a few days off and then focus on the upcoming opponents. Speaking after the game, he explained:
“We wanted to bowl first. To come back from 90/7 to win the match is special. To be on the winning side is good. We had four fast bowlers and two spin bowlers, we had a great combination. We’ll see them later (their next opponents). We have three more days. We’ll try to relax for a couple of days and come back.”
India B will face India C in their next match on September 12. Team C suffered a defeat in the match against India D and are looking to stage a comeback.
