Rishabh Pant's dream came true under unfortunate circumstances. Stand-in skipper KL Rahul getting injured a day before the five-T20I series against South Africa led to Pant becoming captain of India in the absence of all-format skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been rested for the series.
On the eve of series opener against the Temba Bavuma-led side, Pant said that he is yet to digest the news.
"It’s a very good feeling although it didn’t come in good circumstances. The news just came in for me as well an hour back so I’m also processing it,” Pant said on the eve of the first match.
"I haven’t even digested the information yet. It is a great feeling getting this opportunity, especially in my hometown,” the 24-year-old told the media.
Pant was asked whether he will experiment with the batting order after experimenting with his batting position in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.
“My batting order will depend on the conditions. In these conditions, we can't have a floating batting line because we play spinners day in and day out.
“But if we need a floating batting line up we will have it,“ the wicketkeeper-batter added.
Pant did not disclose who will open the batting for India in the absence of Rahul. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Venkatesh Iyer are two contenders to open the innings alongside Ishan Kishan.
“Not much will change in the batting order as KL was to open. There will be one change. We don’t have a lot of openers so you can guess what that will be.” Pant kept the cards close to his chest.
India had a disappointing T20 World Cup 2021 campaign after getting knocked out from group stages. As India look ahead to the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, there is expected to be a chance in approach.
“As a team, we have thought about certain goals that we want to achieve as a team. We are continuously working on them. We are thinking about the World Cup. In the coming days, you’ll see a lot of changes," the Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper added.
