India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour has backed Rishabh Pant to deliver the goods for the team in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 while batting at number three. Pant scored an unbeaten knock of 36 runs off 26 balls against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York on Wednesday.

India was chasing a relatively easy target of 97 runs and Pant added a crucial alliance with skipper Rohit Sharma, who scored 52 runs. Pant had also scored a fine fifty in the warm-up match against Bangladesh at the same venue and thus he has been in good form.

Meanwhile, Pant scored 446 runs in 13 matches of IPL 2024 at an average of 40.55 and a strike rate of 155.40 while leading Delhi Capitals. Pant doesn’t have a great record in T20Is but he will be determined to prove his mettle in the ongoing showpiece.

Vikram Rathour said in the post-match press conference, “Yes, he has been batting really well. The two games he has played, he has looked really, really good. So yes, at the moment he is our number three, and it helps that he is the left-hander.”

Meanwhile, it was another challenging pitch in New York as run-scoring was difficult with the ball moving around in the Powerplay overs. Indian bowlers were right on the money as they were able to skittle out the opposition for 96 runs. Rathour backed India’s experienced batting line-up to deal with the difficult conditions.

Rathour added, “It was a challenging wicket and we were expecting a challenging wicket because we played a practice game here. So we knew what to expect. It is what it is. We need to find a way to deal with it, and I think we have enough skills in the team and enough experience in the team to deal with it. We should be fine.”

India will next take on arch-rivals Pakistan at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York on Sunday.