T20 World Cup 2024: Suryakumar Yadav's childhood coach hails Rishabh Pant as India's 'biggest plus'

By Ovaise Shariff | First Published Jun 9, 2024, 5:55 PM IST

As India gears up for their T20 World Cup 2024 match against Pakistan, Suryakumar Yadav's childhood coach, Ashok Aswalkar, has highlighted Rishabh Pant as the "biggest plus" for the team.

India is set to face Pakistan in their upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. In anticipation of this highly awaited clash, Suryakumar Yadav's childhood coach, Ashok Aswalkar, has highlighted Rishabh Pant as the biggest advantage for the Indian team in the tournament. Pant recently made a triumphant return to international cricket after recovering from a severe accident in December 2022. His performance was instrumental in India's easy chase of 97 runs, finishing the match with more than seven overs to spare.

"Our biggest plus point is Rishabh Pant. He made an incredible comeback after the accident. He has a strong mindset. He is mentally very strong," Aswalkar told ANI.

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Earlier in the innings, Pant struggled with the unpredictable bounce of the pitch and even took a few blows to his arm. However, the left-hander ultimately enjoyed a successful outing, scoring an unbeaten 36 off 26 balls, including three fours and two spectacular sixes.

One of his sixes showcased his brilliance as he effortlessly reverse scooped a length delivery over the wicketkeeper's head for a boundary.

Aswalkar also emphasized the importance of strong starts from openers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, warning that the match could be unpredictable if they fail to convert their starts.

"Virat and Rohit have to convert in the beginning. If they fail, then the match could go either way," Aswalkar added.

India T20 WC Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

Pakistan T20 WC Squad: Babar Azam (C), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.

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