Ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has confirmed that star wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant will remain in the top order to take on the top four batsmen on the strength of the right-handed batsmen. He added that his counter-attacking ability against spinners will become crucial as the tournament progresses and shifts to the West Indies. On Sunday at the Nassau County International Stadium, it will be a ‘Super Sunday’ as arch-rivals India and Pakistan clash in their much-anticipated ICC T20 World Cup clash with several sports superstars in action. After securing a comprehensive eight-wicket win against Ireland, India will be high on confidence and in great winning spirits. However, Pakistan on the other hand will be aiming to overcome the misery of losing to co-hosts and World Cup debutants USA by beating their biggest rival in the game.
Talking about Pant’s role in the team, Rohit said during the pre-match press conference, “I had to watch Pant in a few IPL games to decide where to play him during the World Cup. When I saw him during the first half of the tournament, I was really happy with his performance. With a player like him and his ability, it is tough to find the right number for him. But when we have three right-handers at the start, it is good to keep him in the middle. As we move forward in the tournament, spinners will play a bigger role and his ability to counter-attack against spin will be important.”
He said, “With Yashasvi Jaiswal not being in the playing XI, he is a player who can play with freedom. I have seen him do that over the last few years and I know what his strengths are. There are slight weaknesses too, but I want to focus on his strengths. I think he has an all-round game, which I would like to use more and get him to play more balls. Apart from the openers, no player’s position is fixed. We want to be flexible about these positions. Some players like certain entry points into the game and we would like to think about that.”
Playing at number three in the warm-up match against Bangladesh and the first Group A game against Ireland, Pant scored 53 and 36* respectively. After a life-threatening car accident in December 2022, Pant returned to competitive cricket as the captain of the Delhi Capitals during the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
Rishabh’s team Delhi Capitals finished sixth with seven wins, seven losses and 14 points and failed to make it to the playoffs. He scored 446 runs in 13 matches with three half-centuries at a strike rate of over 155 and emerged as the team’s top run-scorer.
Talking about the Nassau County Stadium pitch, which has come under fire for its uneven bounce and unpredictable nature, Rohit said the key will be to play good cricket irrespective of the opposition or the pitch.
“You know what to expect, you have to prepare accordingly. We have talked about what to do, what could be the game plan for the batsmen and bowlers, control what we can control, that is, give our best, assess and play accordingly. We have a lot of experience in our changing room. I expect everyone to take a decision. It can go either way, but as long as you make a decision based on what you see in front of you, you give yourself the best chance of winning. Nothing changes for us, we will try to tick all the boxes,” he said.
Talking about star batsman Virat Kohli’s role in the match, Rohit said although the team has key players, he wants everyone to contribute instead of relying on just one or two players.
The captain said, “Virat did not play in the match against Bangladesh, his first match was not good, but he has enough experience and training to perform well, which no one can beat. He has played all over the world.”
Virat has a stellar record against Pakistan in T20 World Cup – he has scored 308 runs in five matches at an average of 308.00 and a strike rate of 132.75 with four half-centuries and a best score of 82*.
Talking about a few injuries on his and Rishabh’s bodies during the match against Ireland and in the nets due to the consistent bounce of the pitch, Rohit said, “They (Indian players) are playing because they are all mentally strong and more skilful than anyone else. When you play at the highest level, these injuries don’t matter. In many places like South Africa and Australia, you have to overcome such hurdles. We won the Test at the Gabba (in 2021) because we were mentally strong, players got injuries to the chest, hands, etc. due to the consistent bounce. It’s not going to be easy all the time. These are the moments when you try to test yourself. I am sure all the players playing want to be in tough situations and thrive in them. Nothing can be bigger than playing for your country in a World Cup. These injuries are secondary.”
Ahead of the much-awaited blockbuster encounter, Rohit suffered a left thumb injury while batting in a net session, however, the skipper resumed practice after receiving medical assistance from the team’s medical team.
Indian Team: Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dubey, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal
Pakistani Team: Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Babar Azam (captain), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim, Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, Abbas Afridi.
Topics mentioned in this article
