NEW DELHI: In Wednesday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) victory over Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant displayed a mastery of wicket-keeping to bolster his chances of being selected for the Indian T20 World Cup team.
Pant is participating in his debut tournament following severe injuries he sustained in a vehicle accident in December 2022, which prevented him from participating in the Indian Premier League or the 50-over World Cup in India.
With 210 runs from seven games this season, including two fifties, the 26-year-old is Delhi’s top scorer. His batting hasn’t been rusty since his return.
On Wednesday night, he made two catches—including an incredible grab to remove David Miller—and delivered two stumpings as Delhi easily defeated Gujarat for 89 runs. His glovework was as spectacular.
After that, Pant scored 16 runs without conceding an end as Delhi easily reached the goal in nine overs, winning their third game in a row.
Last season, James Hopes, the bowling coach for Delhi, stated that they sincerely missed Pant’s precise fielding and prolific hitting.
“We made a great effort to close that gap last year,” he continued. But when he’s playing, it’s really difficult to cover a world-class wicketkeeper—if not the greatest wicketkeeper/batsman in the world.
“You can see everything about his game, keeping, and captaincy now that he’s back.”
Pant’s dexterity behind the stumps also impressed former England skipper Kevin Pietersen, who predicted he will participate in the T20 World Cup in June.
Pietersen told Star Sports, “His mobility tonight was something that will give him great encouragement, which will also encourage Team India.”
He obviously needs playing time—everyone does—especially after recovering from an injury. It’s imperative that he gets game time because he’s recovering from a devastating injury.
“He should play these 1415 IPL games to get ready for the T20 World Cup because it’s important to have experience before the T20 World Cup.”
“He’ll be ready if he plays that much cricket.”
