Former England bowler Stuart Broad in the T20 World Cup 2007 was hit for six sixes in an over by legendary Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. Broad recovered from the record beating and became part of England’s maiden T20 World Cup win three years later. But it was the Test format he excelled and became a legend and retired with 604 wickets in the format. During his Test career, Broad bowled to India’s explosive wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant as well. The 37-year-old considers him the most ‘fearless batter’ he bowled to.
“Rishabh Pant is the most fearless batter I have played against, don't be surprised if he tries to hit a boundary in the first ball,” Broad said on Star Sports.
Smith keeps his expectations in check
On the other hand, Australia’s Steve Smith said that fans need to manage their expectations from Pant as he has been away from the game for a long time.
"He is an absolute superstar. It's not like he has come back after a two month break like like Virat, he is back after close to 18 [15] months... He has not been able to hit the ball in that time, and he's coming back to one of the biggest tournaments in the world with top players. We need to manage our expectations, and hopefully he hits the ground running, but we need to be careful there as well," Smith said on Jio Cinema.
Pant survived a horrific car accident on December 30, 2022. After recovering from surgeries, Pant completed his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy, Bengaluru, and got the fitness clearance before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
Pant contributes with cameo in comeback game
The 26-year-old in his comeback game at Mullanpur, Chandigarh, came out to bat in the ninth over. The Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper looked sluggish and lacked power in his shots. He was dropped by Harshal Patel at the mid-wicket boundary as well. However, Harshal on his Punjab Kings (PBKS) debut took his wicket in the 13th over with a slower bouncer. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 18 runs from 13 balls including two fours.
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