After Ravi Shastri, the previous head coach of India was invited into the dressing room to give the best fielder award to Rishabh Pant following an interesting six-run win over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup. His eyes were filled with tears when he heard that his wicketkeeper batsman had a fatal car accident in December 2022.
Pant played as an opener and scored a crucial 42 from 31 deliveries in Sunday’s low scoring thriller at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York despite getting dropped four times and mistiming his shots early on during his knock. Pant made some great catches wearing gloves on three occasions of becoming India’s premier fielder against Pakistan.
“All I say for Rishabh. But first of all, brilliant performance and great character shown by guys. But I had tears in my eyes when I heard about his accident. When I saw him in hospital it was even worse. Then for him to come back from there and be back in the A-zone playing one of the biggest games of all time, India vs Pakistan, is heartwarming,” said Shastri through bcci.tv video.
Shastri further revealed that Pant’s exceptional skills behind the stumps during their match against Pakistan demonstrated everything else except batting.“Batting, everybody knew.What you’re capable of. The X-factor you have. But your wicketkeeping and the range of movement that you have so quickly got back in after the operation, is a tribute for how much you worked hard.
“The win has inspired millions out there who thought they could never see light again after they were downed by adversity – it is not only for yourself alone. So well done fantastic and keep up the good work and keep going.”
In turn, fielding coach T Dilip commended Indian players for being focused while executing their plans on a slow outfield.“One thing which stood out was sheer commitment towards excellence in fielding, which led to greatness today. In high pressure situations, being proactive is extremely important and this game was great example.
“Just like where the throw was thrown, when it was needed someone backed up to the hot spot and everyone looked at each other. It looked like everyone was working as one unit and it made for an outstanding effort. This level of co-ordination between you guys makes us effective and it sets us apart from any other team.”
India had got bowled out on 119 runs in 19 overs while Pakistan were restricted to 113-7 in their 20, giving Rohit Sharma’s team a second win in the competition. On Wednesday, India will take against co-hosts USA in New York.
“It was a typical India-Pakistan game, where the pendulum swung from one side to the other. It’s a game that put everyone on the edge, not just in the dugout or in the dressing room. In the end it is the team that seizes the big moment and holds their nerves, they (India) came out on top,” concluded Shastri.
