Team India wicketkeeper’s berth will be a fight between Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant for the all-important T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday (October 23). While Karthik has the edge so far, Pant could be X-factor considering the fact that Rohit Sharma’s side don’t have a left-handed batter in the top-order.
Pant had a brief but exhilarating knock against Pakistan when the two sides faced off in the T20 World Cup 2021 in Dubai last year. Last year’s clash at the T20 World Cup 2021 was as one-sided as cricket contests get, with Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam successfully chasing down India’s score of 151/7 without loss to gift Pakistan a comprehensive 10-wicket triumph.
While the match was quickly erased from the memory of many India players and fans, Pant still has fond recollections of the game following his 53-run partnership with then skipper Virat Kohli and quickfire knock of 39.
“I fondly remember that I smacked Hasan Ali for two sixes in the same over,” Pant told ICC website. “We were just trying to get the run rate up because we lost early wickets and we staged a partnership – me and Virat. We were increasing the run rate and I smacked him for two sixes with one hand… my special shot.”
Is Rishabh Pant Grown Taller?? #RishabhPant | #RohitSharma pic.twitter.com/x0wxF75LkQ
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Pant is hoping he will get the chance to rekindle his batting relationship with Kohli at the MCG this Sunday. “He (Kohli) can actually teach you how to go through situations, which might help you in your cricket journey going forward, so it is nice batting with him as always,” Pant said.
“It’s good to have someone with a lot of experience batting with you because he can take you through how to take the game on and how to maintain that run-a-ball pressure kind of thing.”
The next chapter in India’s ongoing rivalry against Pakistan will be written at the MCG on Sunday as both sides get their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign underway with a crucial match-up in front a crowd that is expected to be close to the capacity of 100,000.
Pant experienced the feeling of taking on Pakistan at a T20 World Cup when the two teams met at last year’s event in Dubai, and one of the many rising stars of India cricket said nothing comes close to the experience of taking the field against their biggest rival.
“It’s always special playing against Pakistan because there is a special hype around that match as always,” Pant said. “There are so much emotions involved, not only for us, but the fans and everyone.
“It’s a different kind of feeling, a different kind of ambience when you go on to the field and when you take on the field, you see people cheering here and there. It’s a different atmosphere and when we were singing our national anthem, I actually get goosebumps,” Pant added.
