Former Indian wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik has put his weight behind Rishabh Pant to be India’s leading run-getter in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Karthik reckons Pant has got his mojo back at the top level.
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 paltry score of 97 runs and the left-hander scored three fours and two sixes in his knock to take his team to an eight-wicket win.
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.
Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz, “I genuinely felt he (Rishabh Pant) batted outstandingly well. I would actually go out on a limb to say that he could end up India’s highest run-getter. He is getting into great positions and his choice of shots very, very good; I really enjoyed it. He has got his mojo back in terms of how he wants to approach an inning. Very aggressive right from the start, but more importantly, the way he got into positions to play certain shots tells me that he is going to be very, very potent in this World Cup.”
Karthik said Pant’s form will be crucial for India as he has the ability to single-handedly win the game on his own.
“It’s a great sign for India because left-hander, top of the order, taking on bowlers, plays spin brilliantly, and he is one of those guys if he gets going, he will win you a game comfortably. Couldn’t be happier for him. I know Rohit Sharma played very well and rightfully so, but he had his luck. This guy, even though it was not big in terms of volume, just his method to reach that score was brilliant,” the cricketer-turned-commentator added.
Karthik, who recently announced his retirement, shared his surprise on Pant’s ability to hit the ground running in the IPL despite playing at the top level after a long hiatus.
“I genuinely thought walking into the IPL it could be very hard for him (Rishabh Pant) because of his recovery, and if you don’t play for a year, the feel of playing matches, you lose it a lot. It takes time and IPL is such a quick and high-paced tournament, you need to get on the run right away. I thought it was going to be hard, but the way he has done it, credit to him, hats off. He is a deserving candidate and now you can see why people rate him so highly.”
India will next take on arch-rivals Pakistan at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York on Sunday.
