Rishabh Pant Gives Headaches To BCCI Selectors With 48-Ball 88 Not Out Ahead Of T20 World Cup selection

New Delhi: Rishabh Pant made a strong statement for a spot at India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad with a blazing unbeaten 88 off just 43 balls against Gujarat Titans, leading Delhi Capitals to 224/4 in 20 overs on Wednesday at the Feroz Shah Kotla. During his stay at the crease, the Delhi Capitals skipper slammed five fours and eight sixes as he forged a 113-run stand in 68 balls with Axar Patel (66) and an unbeaten 67-run partnership with Tristan Stubbs (26 not out).

Pant’s knock came at a time when the selectors are scratching their heads for the wicketkeeper’s slot in the 15-member squad. The likes of Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals), Ishan Kishan (Mumbai Indians) and KL Rahul (Lucknow Super Giants) have all performed to their potential so far in PL 2024 to stake a claim for a place in the flight to USA and West Indies.

Having sent to bat first in a must-win game, Delhi Capitals didn’t had the best of the starts when they lost both the openers Jake Frazer-McGurk and Prithvi Shaw in the same over bowled by Sandeep Warrier. However, it was Pant and Axar who revived the sinking ship with their brutal hitting.

Pant started slowly but gained in confidence as time progressed and unleashed his trademark pick up shots of his legs, cuts and pulls to score his runs. While Pant looked in full flow after getting his groove, Axar played the second fiddle but didn’t falter to dispatch the bad balls to the fence.

Pant attacked anything which was pitched on his legs as he effortlessly flicked Mohit Sharma for a six over midwicket in the 16th over. He then clobbered Mohit over long-off in the same over to prop up Delhi Capitals’ run rate. Pant unleashed havoc on Mohit in the last over, hitting the veteran bowler for four sixes and one four to pick up 31 runs.