Ricky Ponting’s High Hopes for Rishabh Pant at T20 World Cup
Delhi Capitals’ coach, Ricky Ponting, has praised Rishabh Pant’s remarkable return to professional cricket following a major car accident, describing it as “nothing short of spectacular”.
The left-handed batsman scored 446 runs at an average of 40.54 and a strike-rate of 155.40, while also claiming a joint-high 16 dismissals as a wicket-keeper during the recent India Premier League season.
Ponting expressed his admiration for Pant’s resilience in an interview with The ICC Review.
“I spent a few months with him in the middle of the IPL last year, which was only sort of three or four months after his accident. I had grave fears then that he would never play the game again. What he’d been through psychologically, but what he’d been through physically. At that stage, he still couldn’t walk. He was on crutches. And I remember saying to him, what do you think about next season? He just looked at me and said, don’t worry, I’ll be right. And he’s looked after himself incredibly well,” Ponting said.
He also praised the Delhi Capitals franchise and Pant’s physio, Patrick Farhart, for their support during Pant’s recovery.
While Pant’s batting prowess was never in doubt, Ponting admitted that there were concerns about how he would handle the wicket-keeping load.
“No one had real concerns about his batting, because of how good he is and how dynamic he is with the bat. But with his wicket-keeping, and having to squat every ball for 14 games in a row, there were certainly some concerns there,” Ponting added.
Pant ended the IPL league stage with 16 dismissals, the joint-most by any wicket-keeper in the season. His impressive performance earned him a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad, as Ponting had predicted.
“I was asked when I was over there what I thought about him. He’d been picked in the Indian squad, and I basically said he’d be one of the first players picked, and sure enough he was. So, great to see him back out there playing again. I’ve enjoyed every moment of working with him. Obviously, he’s been the captain of the Delhi Capitals, and I’ve been the coach there. But it’s been a remarkable comeback, and hopefully he has a huge impact on this World Cup,” Ponting concluded.
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