After a long and challenging road to recovery, Rishabh Pant is set to make his much-anticipated return to international cricket at the T20 World Cup 2024. A horrific accident forced him to miss crucial matches for India, but his determination to play again saw him return to action in the IPL 2024.
Pant impressed everyone with his batting form and fitness behind the wicket. His stellar performance, scoring over 400 runs in the league, earned him a well-deserved spot in the T20 World Cup squad.
On Saturday, May 25, excitement filled the air as Rishabh Pant joined the first batch of Indian players who departed for US for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The Rohit Sharma-led team boarded a flight from Mumbai to New York, ready to take on the world. Pant wasn't just making headlines for his return, but also for his sportsmanlike spirit. As he entered the airport, a fan playfully requested him to 'return with the T20 World Cup trophy' (bhai jeet kar aana). Pant responded with a warm smile and a thumbs up, a gesture that quickly went viral on the internet.
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Watch Rishabh Pant's million-dollar gesture here
Besides Rishabh Pant, other Indian players who were spotted at the at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport were Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh, Shubman Gill and Khaleel Ahmed, head coach Rahul Dravid, and the coaching staff.
The second batch of Indian cricketers for the T20 World Cup will include Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, and Yashasvi Jaiswal as they will leave for US on May 27, right after the IPL 2024 final. This is because their team, Rajasthan Royals (RR), was recently eliminated from the IPL. They lost Qualifier 2 to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 36 runs on Friday, May 24 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya, India's T20 World Cup vice-captain, is a separate case. After his team, Mumbai Indians (MI), didn't qualify for the IPL playoffs, he went to London for training. It's still uncertain whether he'll join the first batch of players in the USA or reunite with the team directly from London.
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Pant poised for key role in T20 World Cup return
Rishabh Pant is expected to be India's go-to wicket-keeper batter in the T20 World Cup 2024. After a strong comeback in the IPL, where he amassed 446 runs at an impressive average of 40 and a blistering strike rate of 155 in just 13 games, Pant is brimming with confidence. His explosive batting makes him a crucial asset for India's T20 World Cup campaign. The T20 World Cup 2024 kicks off on June 2, with India's campaign starting against Ireland on June 5. They'll be battling it out in Group A alongside Ireland, hosts USA, Canada, and their arch-rivals, Pakistan.
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