IND vs PAK 2022: "When we were singing our national anthem, I actually got goosebumps"- Rishabh Pant on his maiden India-Pakistan match
India's star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant opened up on his experience of playing his first game against Pakistan in last year's T20 World Cup. Although the Men in Blue ended up on the losing side, the 24-year-old was moved by the vibe in the stadium and the atmosphere in the ground had that evening.
Pant had a decent outing personally, scoring a handy 39 and showing that he had the ability to rise to the big occasion. The young southpaw also spoke about the moment when the two teams walked out in the middle for their respective national anthems and how he was awestruck by the occasion.
Speaking in a video uploaded by the ICC on their Instagram handle, here's what Rishabh Pant had to say:
"It is always special playing Pakistan because there is a special hype around that match. There is so much emotion involved, not just for us, but also for the fans.
"So there is a different kind of ambiance when you take the field. When we were singing our national anthem, I actually got goosebumps."
Rishabh Pant on why playing against Pakistan was on his list
Rishabh Pant joined the Indian team a bit later in the 2019 ODI World Cup as an injury replacement and wasn't part of the squad that faced Pakistan.
It was a thumping win for India over their arch rivals and Pant was in the stands, hoping to be a part of such a huge game one day.
#TeamIndia all-rounder @imjadeja & wicket-keeper @RishabhPant17 looking solid in the nets ahead of the epic clash against Pakistan🏏
#INDvPAK | #AsiaCup2022 https://t.co/N9a1S35nh4
On this, the 24-year-old stated:
"In the 2019 World Cup, that was the first (India-Pakistan) match that I saw from the stadium. I wanted to play that match but I wasn't in the squad that time. So I keep giving myself smaller goals too. So that is something that i ticked in my box."
Will Team India back Pant ahead of Dinesh Karthik in tonight's encounter against Pakistan? Let us know in the comments.