As the Indian team has remained unbeaten in the group stage to reach the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup 2024, veteran commentator, Sanjay Manjrekar has picked Rishabh Pant the team’s standout batsman so far. Despite boasting an unbeaten record in the group stage, India’s batters found it hard to bat on the sluggish pitches in the USA, leaving senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma struggling.
While Rohit Sharma pulled off a crucial fifty against Ireland, his form dipped in subsequent matches. Kohli as an opener has managed to score just 5 runs across three innings. It was Rishabh Pant, promoted to the crucial No. 3 position, who stepped up, currently leading the team’s scoring charts with 96 runs.
Sanjay Manjrekar expressed surprise at Pant’s promotion to no.3 but lauded it as a masterstroke by the Indian team management. Pant, known for his explosive batting at No. 4 or 5, had shown glimpses of his potential in the top order during a warm-up match against Bangladesh.
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“They [team management] want more and more impact players at every position down the order,” Sanjay Manjrekar said, quoted by Hindustan Times. “Rishabh Pant, I didn’t expect him to be batting at No. 3, and what a brilliant move it has turned out to be.”
Sanjay Manjrekar further highlighted Pant’s role in addressing a key weakness that India had in the 2023 ODI World Cup – the lack of a left-handed batsman in the top six. With Pant doing well at teh top, India gains valuable left-handed variety, a factor Manjrekar believes is crucial.
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“Pant has showed his class. He has been India’s best batter in this tournament so far, and on a difficult pitch, that is Rishabh Pant’s class. That they gave him the No. 3 slot also ensured that India don’t have six right-handers like they had in that 50-over World Cup and the only left-hander India had was Jadeja at No. 7,” Sanjay Manjrekar concluded.
Pant’s success at No. 3 provides a much-needed spark for India’s batting line-up. As they face tougher competition in the Super Eight stage, his form will be crucial for their title aspirations.
