“Let’s go India” – Rishabh Pant cheers for Team India in 2023 World Cup semifinal vs NZ from home
Rishabh Pant might have missed out on playing for Team India due to his injuries but cheered for the Men in Blue in the 2023 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand from home. The high-octane match is currently underway at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Pant, who is glued to the TV for the semifinal, took a picture of live footage featuring India captain Rohit Sharma batting. The wicketkeeper-batter captioned his Instagram story:
“Let’s go India.”
For the unversed, Pant is yet to make his comeback after sustaining life-threatening injuries during a car accident last year. The 26-year-old was admitted to hospitals before undergoing extensive rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. He played his last game for India during the Mirpur Test in December 2022.
Over the past few months, Pant has missed a number of big tournaments, including the World Test Championship 2023 final, the Indian Premier League, and the ongoing 2023 World Cup. He is likely to make his comeback during the 2024 England tour of India (five-match Test series), which starts in Hyderabad on January 25.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill provide blistering start against New Zealand in 2023 World Cup semifinal
Opting to bat, India captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill provided a blistering start to Team India against New Zealand in the 2023 World Cup semifinal. The duo shared a 71-run partnership for the opening wicket. Rohit smashed 47 runs off 29 balls, including four sixes and as many boundaries.
Tim Southee provided the first breakthrough as the Kiwi captain Kane Williamson took a sky-high catch.
The two teams are playing for the second time in the ongoing 50-over tournament. The hosts beat the BlackCaps by four wickets in the previous encounter in Dharamshala.
Interestingly, India and New Zealand also played in the 2019 World Cup semifinal, where the former won by 18 runs. Kane Williamson and Co. though, lost the final against England by a boundary count after a super over.
In the points table, India finished atop as they stayed unbeaten, registering nine wins. New Zealand, meanwhile, won their first four games before losing the next four. They, however, won their last league game to qualify for the semifinals.
Follow the IND vs NZ semifinal live score and updates here.