Image Credit- BCCI
The moment Rishabh
Pant had been waiting for since December 30, 2022 finally arrived in obscure
Mullanpur at 4:06 p.m. on March 23, 2024. The wait was prolonged even though
David Warner had gloved an effort to hook off a slower bouncer from Harshal
Patel and was making his way back. Pant was standing yards away from Warner on
the opposite side of the boundary, eager to play cricket on a real pitch in a
match after escaping an automobile accident fifteen months prior.
To celebrate Pant’s
return, the entire audience stood up as he began to move to the middle. It was
a healthy shout, but not a visceral one. In addition, non-striker Shai Hope
greeted his captain by repeatedly punching his bat with a gloved hand.
Pant grabbed hold of the leg stump. Harpreet Brar, the left-arm spinner for the
Punjab Kings, slanted the ball out of Pant’s reach, requiring him to extend and
stretch in order to make contact. He will be put to the test in this area as
well as when he runs between the wickets and ends tosses because he had his
knee ligaments rebuilt. Pant’s first six deliveries saw him decline to run a
double twice.
It makes sense that
he would use such caution given that he is recovering from a serious injury.
Legspinner Rahul Chahar hit a long hop to Pant on 4, which went straight to
deep midwicket, where Harshal Patel was unable to grab it due to sun blindness.
After hitting a cover drive from Harshal for his second boundary, Pant’s
innings was cut short.
After the Capitals concluded with 174, Pant faced a more difficult task as
captain: maintaining wickets in the quick-paced T20 cricket while making
judgements. Even after losing Ishant Sharma, one of his four specialist
bowlers, to an ankle injury, he remained game.
If batters were
asked to choose the liveliest wicketkeeper in the area, Pant would probably be
near the top of their list. He may be talking a lot to frustrate batsmen, but
he also uses it to inspire and direct his bowlers.
Pant gets along well with left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav, having kept
wicket against him in both India and Washington. Pant was rarely silent during
Kuldeep’s four-over session against Punjab, and part of that conversation could
be heard over the stump microphones.
The concern was
whether Pant would still be courageous, which was his greatest strength. He
didn’t think twice to extend or dive behind the stumps in an attempt to stump
Jitesh Sharma, and he was successful on the second attempt.
Prior to the Capitals’ first-ever game of the season against Punjab, Ponting
had called Pant the “heartbeat” of the group. Although the outcome
did not suit him, Pant was bursting with confidence having accomplished what
many said he would never be able to. Play a game of cricket.