"At the moment he is our No. 3" - India's batting coach impressed with Rishabh Pant's new role at T20 World Cup 2024
Team India's batting coach Vikram Rathour stated that the Men in Blue will stick to having Rishabh Pant at No. 3 after the southpaw's impressive performances on his comeback to the T20I side. Pant scored a fantastic half-century against Bangladesh in the warm-up tie and then scored 36* off 26 to help India kickstart their campaign by beating Ireland.
Rathour has been highly impressed with the way Pant has taken to the No. 3 role and the freedom with which the batter has expressed himself. The coach also shed light on how Pant being a left-hander helps India use him for different match-ups.
Speaking to the reporters after the game, Vikram Rathour had the following to say about Rishabh Pant:
"Yes, he has been batting really well. The two games he has played, he has looked really, really good. So yes, at the moment he is our number three, and it helps that he is the left-hander."
Pant had been out of competitive cricket for almost 15 months after meeting with a horrific car accident in December 2022. He made a comeback in the IPL 2024 season and seems to have carried that form into the T20 World Cup.
India's batting coach on the New York pitch
The pitch at the Nassau County International Stadium in New York has faced severe scrutiny from fans as well as experts, with many deeming it to be unacceptable for such a showpiece event. The ball bounced sharply off a good length during the India vs Ireland clash, and batters from both sides copped a few blows.
However, Vikram Rathour believes that India have the experience needed to adapt and then get to a score they can defend or chase down. He stated:
"It was a challenging wicket and we were expecting a challenging wicket because we played a practice game here. So we knew what to expect. It is what it is. We need to find a way to deal with it, and I think we have enough skills in the team and enough experience in the team to deal with it. We should be fine."
India will now face arch-rivals Pakistan at the same venue on Sunday, June 9. It will be interesting to see if the pitch continues to play tricks or settles down by the time the high-octane clash begins.