Pant returns to the side more than a year after his near-fatal car crash as India name Rohit Sharma-led 15-man squad.
Rishabh Pant has found his way back into the Indian cricket team after being included in the country’s 15-man squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
The wicketkeeper batter, who suffered multiple injuries in a horrific life-threatening car crash in December 2022, made his comeback to the game earlier this month with his Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals.
Pant was one of the few players whose inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad would have been subject to some scrutiny given his lack of professional outings in recent months.
However, Indian selectors have put their weight behind the attacking batter who has scored 987 runs in 66 T20 internationals.
Rohit Sharma will lead India’s quest for a second T20 World Cup title, with all-rounder Hardik Pandya as his deputy.
🚨India’s squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 announced 🚨
Let's get ready to cheer for #TeamIndia #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/jIxsYeJkYW
— BCCI (@BCCI) April 30, 2024
Another power-hitter, Rinku Singh, was named among the four reserve players despite raking up runs for India in the recent bilateral T20 series.
Opener Shubman Gill also finds himself on the sidelines after the selectors opted to go with recent breakout batter Yashasvi Jaiswal as captain Rohit’s opening partner.
Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh will bolster the pace bowling department spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah while Yuzvendra Chahal is part of a four-pronged spin attack alongside Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel.
India made the semifinals two years ago in Australia, losing to eventual champions England.
They begin their campaign against Ireland in Group A, with the match to be played in New York on June 5, before they battle arch-rivals Pakistan in one of the event’s highly-anticipated matches four days later.
India’s T20 World Cup squad: Rohit Sharma (capt), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan
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