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Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is not happy with Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s performances of late. Inzamam feels Pant has not lived up to expectations in the middle order, including his inconsistent run in recently-concluded T20 World Cup 2021 where India got knocked out at the Super 12 stage.
“I had a lot of expectations from Rishabh Pant. The way he has performed in the last two years, I rated him highly. I saw him play in Australia, then against England when they toured India earlier this year. The conditions he played in. I thought that like Dhoni, when the top order fails, he makes up for it at the bottom. I felt that Pant is that sort of player. But during the World Cup, he didn’t live up to my expectations,” said Inzamam on his YouTube channel.
In the run chase of 165 at Sawai Mansingh stadium in Jaipur, Pant scored a run-a-ball 17 to help India get over the line. But Pant struggled to hit big shots and played as many as five dot deliveries (excluding leg byes. His only boundary came off the fourth delivery of the last over when he hit Daryl Mitchell over mid-off to finish off the match.
“He appeared under pressure. Earlier as well, he has been under pressure but he always used to hit his way out of it. So lately, he hasn’t lived up to my expectations. He scored 17 off 17 but having said that, he is a treat to watch. He must have realised it and I’m certain he will improve his game,” he added.
Despite India cruising towards target in the middle overs, the wickets of skipper Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav put pressure on India in death overs of run chase. Despite single-digit scores from Shreyas Iyer and debutant Venkatesh Iyer, India won the match with two balls to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the series. India will play New Zealand in the second T20I on November 19 in Ranchi.
