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Team India commenced their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with a warm-up fixture against Bangladesh at the Nassau County Cricket Ground in New York on Saturday. The Men in Blue delivered a comprehensive performance, securing a decisive 60-run victory over their opponents.
Rishabh Pant’s remarkable comeback performance
In a significant highlight for Team India, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant made an impressive return to international cricket. Playing his first game for India since 2022 after recovering from a severe injury sustained in a car crash, Pant showcased his class by smashing a dynamic half-century. The left-handed batter retired out after scoring 53 off 32 balls, featuring four sixes and four boundaries.
Spectacular reverse-sweep six captivates fans
Pant’s innings was marked by a spectacular reverse-sweep six off Shakib Al Hasan in the sixth over. Demonstrating exceptional skill and timing, Pant got on top of the bounce and cleared the backward point boundary with ease, sending the ball sailing over the ropes for a maximum. This remarkable shot was part of a sequence where Pant hit consecutive sixes off the first two balls of the over and concluded with another six, making the over yield a total of 22 runs.
Here is the video:
Spidey weaving his web! 🕸️#RishabhPant takes the attack to Bangladesh with a flurry of huge sixes! 🔥
📺 | #BANvIND | LIVE NOW | #T20WorldCupOnStar (Only available in India) pic.twitter.com/79iEgU118K
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 1, 2024
Also WATCH: Fan breaches security to meet Rohit Sharma, taken down by USA Police | T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up match
Sanjay Manjrekar heaps praises on Pant’s comeback
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar commended Pant for his outstanding performance under challenging conditions during India’s T20 World Cup warm-up game against Bangladesh. Manjrekar appreciated Pant’s ability to quickly assess the pitch and adapt his game accordingly. He pointed out that the pitch was slightly difficult to bat on, as evidenced by Sanju Samson’s early dismissal after scoring only one run off six balls.
“The pitch was slightly difficult when he came to bat. We saw Sanju Samson getting out after scoring only one run off six balls. After that, he (Pant) came and his specialty is that he is extremely street-smart and assesses very quickly what needs to be done,” Manjrekar said on Star Sports.
Manjrekar further highlighted Pant’s impressive strike rate of nearly 200 on a difficult pitch, emphasizing his ability to perform under pressure. He noted that Pant managed to score runs at a rapid pace, which is a testament to his exceptional skill and temperament. Manjrekar also acknowledged that Pant’s overall T20I statistics, with an average close to 20 and a strike rate of around 120, are relatively modest.
“He is a batter who scored runs at a strike rate of almost 200 on a difficult pitch. This is Rishabh Pant’s specialty. His record in T20Is is very ordinary, an average close to 20 and a strike rate of 120 or lower, but we saw today what this guy can do,” Manjrekar added.
