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Rishabh Pant indirectly replied to former Pakistan selector Wahab Riaz for questioning the India management for benching him during the 2022 T20 World Cup. Pant’s reaction came on the popular TV news show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ ahead of the India-Pakistan clash in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
For the unversed, Pant was left out of India's playing XI for their last T20 World Cup game against the Men in Green. Dinesh Karthik had played that game instead.
Here’s how the conversation unfolded:
Rajat Sharma, India TV’s Editor-in-chief asked Pant:
“Pakistan players keep their eyes on Rishabh Pant. Wahab Raiz said that Indians made him sit out in the last T20 World Cup if he had been part of Pakistan’s team, he would have surely played.”
Pant replied:
“When you play for India then you feel proud to represent them that you don’t even think about representing any other country.”
What did Wahab Riaz say during the 2022 T20 World Cup?
"Rishabh Pant is India's best wicketkeeper-batter since MS Dhoni. He even has hundreds in England and Australia. If he was in the Pakistan team, would he sit outside in a World Cup match? No chance. India kept him out for Dinesh Karthik," Riaz told News 24HD.
"They know Pant is a good player who will score a lot of runs but he can't be a finisher. At that specific number, they need a finisher. Pant might hit a couple of sixes but if he fails to finish the game, India will lose. That's the way to go," he added.
Pant has returned with scores of 39 and 14 in his two outings against Pakistan in T20Is. In the 2022 T20 World Cup, he returned with scores of three and six against Zimbabwe and England, respectively. He scored 39, 12, and 27* in his three innings in the 2021 edition of the mega ICC event in the UAE.
Rishabh Pant has been in red-hot form since IPL 2024
Rishabh Pant has been in sublime form since he made his comeback in IPL 2024. The left-hander amassed 446 runs in 13 innings at a strike rate of 155.40, including three half-centuries.
The wicketkeeper-batter recently scored an unbeaten 36 off 26 balls against Ireland in India's 2024 T20 World Cup opener. He slammed a six to guide the Men in Blue over the line.
Pant also slammed a quickfire 53 off 32 (retired out) against Bangladesh in a warm-up game ahead of the tournament to mark his return against an international side in style after more than a year-long hiatus due to a car accident in December 2022.
