Does Rishabh Pant Need to Be on the World Cup Team? ‘Lot of Options But…’ says DC Coach

A few months remain before the T20 World Cup 2024, and Indian selectors will soon choose the team for the eagerly anticipated competition. Many cricket players are vying for selection in the meantime by putting up strong performances in the current Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. But with too many names in the mix, the wicketkeeper’s position has been the focus of much of the conversation.

Players that are already well-known include Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Jitesh Sharma, and Dhruv Jurel. As the season goes on, experienced wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik also seems to have entered the fray. Former Australia captain and head coach of the Delhi Capitals, Ricky Poting has offered his opinion as the conversation continues.

Ahead of Tuesday’s Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat game in Ahmedabad, Ponting spoke with PTI and said that although there are many choices available to India, he is supporting Rishabh Pant.

Do you think Rishabh should be included in the World Cup team? Yes, I do, without a doubt. By the conclusion of the IPL, Ponting was cited as saying, “I think we have seen Rishabh play the way we have seen him play in the last six seasons of the IPL and now back playing for India. He deserves to be in that WT20 squad.”

There is a lot of depth in Indian cricket, especially among the keeper hitters, and some of them seem to be playing pretty well right now. There are many of alternatives there, and Kishan, Samson, and KL Rahul are all performing well, but if I had to choose a squad, I would include Rishabh Pant every day of the week,” he said.

Pant has returned with an impressive performance after a lengthy injury layoff. In six games, the wicketkeeper-battler has amassed 194 runs and two half-centuries. However, Sanju Samson has recently begun manifesting as a dream. The captain of the Rajasthan Royals is presently ranked in the top five scorers during the current campaign. Samson has scored 276 runs in 7 games, including 3 fifty-score runs.