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Cricket Players'Rishabh was very important for us but now...': Hardik Pandya's candid admission about Pant's future after accident
India face Sri Lanka in three T20I matches starting on Thursday in what will be their first series since Rishabh Pant's horrific car crash.
India's upcoming series against Sri Lanka will be their first since wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant's horrific car crash. Pant is currently undergoing treatment and was severely injured after his car crashed on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. The 25-year-old was considered an integral part of India's plans for the upcoming 2023 World Cup and in the T20I scheme of things as well.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who will captain the Indian team in the T20I matches against Sri Lanka, said that the team is hoping that Pant will make a speedy recovery. “What happened is very unfortunate. As a team we wish him all the best. Our love and prayers are always with him and we hope he manages a speedy recovery. He was very important but everyone knows where the situation stands,” said Pandya on the eve of the first T20I against Sri Lanka. The match will be played at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.
Pandya also said that the absence of Pant can be an opportunity for other wicketkeeper-batters to make a mark for themselves in India colours. “A lot of people can get an opportunity. If Rishabh was there it would have made a big difference because of the kind of player he is. Now he is not there so we will see what the future has in store for us,” he said.
Pant, alone in his car, was driving to Uttarakhand to pay his family a surprise visit when he dozed off while on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. His car collided into a divider at Mohammedpur Jat near Roorkee. The police later informed the media that Pant's car caught fire but the Indian cricketer managed to escape the vehicle after breaking its windscreen. Pant was rushed to Roorkee's Civil Hospital before being taken to Max, Dehradun, which was about 30 minutes away from there.
Sri Lanka's limited overs tour of India will consist of three T20Is and as many ODIs. The second T20I will be played on Thursday in Pune while the third match will take place in Rajkot on Saturday. While Pandya is leading the team in the T20I series, he will be vice-captain in the subsequent three-match ODI series with regular skipper Rohit Sharma returning.
India have had multiple players leading the team in different formats since the end of the 2021 T20 World Cup. Apart from Pandya, Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah are among players who have led the team in different formats in this period. Pandya said that the team is looking to play a certain way and the plans are set regardless of who is leading the side.
"The plans are set. We are looking to play in a certain way, which we will and before IPL, there are only 6 games. So we don't have much time to do a lot of things but going forward, we will create creating new plans and see which is working. We will see that everyone gets ample opportunity. On the right time, when needed, we will see what there is to do. The role identification is something that existed earlier and is present now as well. That is something which anyway in my team I believe in - that everyone should have a clear idea as to what their roles are and what they should be expecting," he said.
India endured disappointing results in the two tournaments they played in 2022. While they failed to make it to the final of the Asia Cup, they were then knocked our of the T20 World Cup in semi-finals after a resounding 10-wicket loss to eventual champions England. Pandya said that there was nothing wrong in the template they followed before the World Cup, although it didn't work out according to plan during the tournament, and that he is looking to back those playing under him to give them the confidence to express themselves.
"I think before the World Cup, we did not do anything wrong. Our template, approach was the same. Yes, in the World Cup, things did not go the way we wanted and our approach was not exactly what it was before. What we have noticed and told the boys is go out there and express and it's up to as to how we back them," Pandya said.
"All the players have that support from my side. Those who are here are the best Indian cricketers in the country. I have to make them believe that fact. For me, it is about how can I make them feel that we are the best in the business and if I can instil that confidence in them, I don't think they will have any problem. They will flourish and have amazing careers," the all-rounder concluded.
