After twin wins in the 2022 T20 World Cup - against Pakistan and Netherlands - Team India now gear up for the South Africa challenge in Perth on Sunday. A win could help India go a step nearer to making the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup again, after having missed out in 2021 in the UAE. Ahead of the crucial match, Rishabh Pant had an extended net session where he worked on his batting and wicketkeeping skills. After the session, he obliged a few fans with autographs and selfies when suddenly one of the fans from India made an epic request to Pant.
Even after all the Indian players had departed from the net session, Pant stayed back to work on a few wicketkeeping drills. After his training, he walked towards the fence where a couple of fans waited to watch Pant. The cricketer signed an autograph for a kid and also clicked a selfie. And as he was walking on his way back to collect his kit, one of the fans called him and said, “Bhai, opening kar lo India ke kismat badal jayegi.”
Pant did not react, but just looked back at the fan as he made the request.
{{/usCountry}}Pant did not react, but just looked back at the fan as he made the request.
{{/usCountry}}Pant is yet to get a game for India in the ongoing T20 World Cup as the team management has backed the experienced Dinesh Karthik ahead of him.
With KL Rahul looking nervy in the first two matches, batting coach Vikram Rathour was asked him the management is contemplating on resting him and picking Pant in is stead as an opoener. "We are looking to adapt. Of course, playing with intent is always the goal. We are looking to score runs whenever we can. But then we need to keep in account the conditions that we are playing on, the surfaces we are playing on," he said in the pre-match presser.
"I don't think these are 200, 200-plus wickets, so we'll need to adapt, and I think we have done pretty well in that regard so far," he added.