Indian wicketkeeper-batsman RISHABH PANTS was not at his best behind the stumps during his team’s crucial Super-8 match against Australia in the current ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Pant’s botched catches left Indian captain Rohit Sharma furious with him on many occasions at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St. Lucia.
Even during the Australian cricket team’s chase in St. Lucia, Pant’s direct shot could have hurt the in-form all-rounder. Hardik Pandya. The goalkeeper had unintentionally thrown the ball towards Pandya, and was seen red-faced after the ball hit him so hard during the Super-8 clash on June 24.
Hardik Pandya shaken by Rishabh Pant’s misdirected shot in India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Super-8 thriller against Australia
Even Rohit Sharma He could not hide his anger after seeing Hardik writhing in pain, giving the Indian cricket team a major injury scare in the midst of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. The incident occurred in the fourth ball of the final over when Pandya bowled a slower length. delivery in the Super-8 match.
Australian pacer Mitchell Starc tried to guide him towards offside but failed to connect. Pant then picked up the ball cleanly behind the stumps and flicked it towards the wickets, but it narrowly missed dislodging the bails and went straight to Hardik. The ball hit Hardik’s hands, causing him visible discomfort.
The Indian all-rounder was not happy at all, as he pointed at Pant, indicating the strength of the delivery while shaking his hands. Indian captain Rohit was also frustrated by the incident.
Watch here how Rishabh Pant scares India and Hardik Pandya with injuries:
-Nihari Korma (@NihariVsKorma) June 25, 2024
At another point during the match, Rohit expressed his frustration with Pant. In the second innings in St. Lucia, Australian captain Mitchell Marsh attempted a shot against a bouncer from Jasprit Bumrah. The ball went high in the air behind square leg, giving Pant a chance to catch it.
However, Pant stumbled and ended up deflecting the ball with his gloves. Rohit openly reacted to this incident, while Bumrah seemed visibly shocked at the missed golden opportunity. However, India won the game by 24 runs against Australia to qualify for the semi-finals.
No one will be surprised if Rohit Sharma lifts the trophy: Sreesanth
The Men in Blue will face defending champions England in the second semi-final of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 on Thursday, June 27 at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. On the other hand, Afghanistan and South Africa will meet in the first semi-final on the same day at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago.
Meanwhile, former India fast bowler and two-time World Cup winner S. Sreesanth believes that Hardik has the potential to play a role for Team India in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, similar to what Yuvraj Singh did during his victorious 2011 ODI World Cup campaign.
Sreesanth said on Star Sports: “The last conference in which Rohit Sharma said that Hardik Pandya is a key player in the team. What Yuvraj Singh did in 2011 as an all-rounder, with bat, ball and fielding, I think Hardik is very capable of doing in this T20 World Cup. I think none of us will be surprised if Rohit lifts the trophy.”