Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 9 (ANI): Ahead of the much-awaited clash between India and Pakistan in T20 World Cup, batter Suryakumar Yadav’s childhood coach Ashok Aswalkar has said that Rishabh Pant is the biggest plus point for Men in Blue in the mega event.
India will take on Pakistan in their upcoming match in the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Pant made his comeback to the international circuit after recovering from a serious accident in December 2022. The wicketkeeper-batter helped India complete the paltry chase of 97 with more than seven overs to spare.
“The biggest plus point for us is Rishabh Pant. He made an incredible comeback after the accident. He has a strong mindset. He is mentally very strong,” Ashok Aswalkar told ANI.
Earlier in the innings, he struggled to deal with the unprecedented bounce of the pitch and even sustained blows on his arm. But overall, the left-handed batter enjoyed a purple patch with the bat.
The 26-year-old went unbeaten on 36 off 26 deliveries and his innings was laced with three fours and two towering maximums.
His second six was a typical moment of brilliance. He effortlessly reversed scoop the length delivery to send the ball past the fence over the head of the wicketkeeper.
Aswalkar said if openers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli do not covert the starts, the match could go either way.
“Virat and Rohit have to convert in the beginning. If they fail then the match could go either way,” Aswalkar added.
India T20 WC Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Pakistan T20 WC Squad: Babar Azam (C), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan. (ANI)
