'Pant will be exceptionally dangerous for India during T20 WC on Australia tracks' - Ponting

Rishabh Pant has evolved brilliantly as a batter in the last few years. Meanwhile, Ricky Ponting feels Pant will be a dangerous asset for India during ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.

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Young Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has become one of the most reliable batters for Team India. Since making his debut about years back, he has evolved dramatically despite a turbulent start. He is now leading Team India during its ongoing five-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series against South Africa at home. He has also been a consistent performer in run-scoring as he looks to maintain his form for the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia from October. On the same note, Pant's Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals' (DC) head coach Ricky Ponting has touted him to be dangerous for India during the T20 global event.

Image credit: Delhi Capitals

During the ICC Review, Ponting said, "He [Pant] is a wonderful player. He is an outstanding young man with the world at his feet. And, he'll be exceptionally dangerous for India, especially on the wickets we'll provide in Australia: Good flat, fast, bouncy wickets. He'll surely be one of the players to watch in the tournament [T20 WC]."

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"I reckon to have him [Pant] as a floater. I'll probably have him listed at five in the batting line-up. But, in certain situations, where it gets to a stage, where there are seven-eight overs to go, and they are one-two down, I will look at sending him in and giving as much time as possible. He is that dynamic and explosive, and that is certainly how I would look at using him," added Ponting.

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"He [Pant] probably didn't have his best tournament [IPL 2022]. He was frustrated with his IPL this year because he went into the tournament batting better than I've seen before. And, even by his admission, he said the same thing to me, halfway through the tournament, that he didn't feel he was getting results that he probably should have and that he probably deserved," Ponting concluded.