"Depends On Him": India Great Picks X-Factor For T20 World Cup. Not Virat Kohli Or Jasprit Bumrah

03.05.2024 - 07:47 sports.ndtv.com

Former Indian cricket team player Madan Lal, who won the 1983 World Cup, believes that Rishabh Pant can be the player who will prove instrumental if the Rohit Sharma-led side wants to win the T20 World Cup 2024.

It will be first international tournament for Pant since his near-fatal car accident in 2022 but his form in IPL 2024 for Delhi Capitals came as good news for the selectors as well as the fans.

In a recent interview, Lal called his comeback 'superb' and hailed him as one of the top batters in the world. "In a word, it (Pant's comeback) is superb.

If India wants to win (the T20 World Cup), he needs to perform well. It is as simple as that. He is a class act. At the moment, he is one of the top batsmen in the world.

cricket India Cricket Team Virat Kohli Rishabh Pant Sanju Samson Jasprit Bumrah Kl Rahul India

The majority of the Indian players along with the jumbo support staff will be flying out to New York on May 25, with the rest leaving for the T20 World Cup only after the May 26 IPL final. Earlier, the members of teams failing to qualify for the play-offs were supposed to leave for New York on May 21, two days after the final league game of the IPL on May 19 but it has since been learnt that there has been some change in plans and now the first batch will leave on May 25.

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Former Australian cricket team captain Tim Paine expressed his concern for Team India ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 and even served them a warning concerning star batter Virat Kohli. India are one of the firm favourites ahead of the competition but Paine believes that the campaign will depend heavily on how Kohli ends up performing. Paine, in conversation with fellow countrymen Aaron Finch and Michael Clarke on the 'Around the Wicket' podcast, compared Kohli to Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and said that if the India star fails to perform, Rohit and Co will not be able to win the title.

Rishabh Pant Or Sanju Samson: Gautam Gambhir Names His Pick For T20 World Cup 2024

As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson found a spot each, thanks to their exemplary performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. While both are in the 15-man roster for the global event, only one of them will make the cut for the playing XI for the sole spot behind the stumps. When Gautam Gambhir, current Kolkata Knight Riders mentor, was asked about his preference, he had a clear take.

"For India's Sake...": Anil Kumble's Humble Virat Kohli Plea Over T20 World Cup 2024

Former India cricketer Anil Kumble heaped praise on Virat Kohli and expects the star Indian batter to continue his prime IPL form in the T20 World Cup as well. Kohli's scintillating 92 off 47 balls followed by a collective bowling effort helped RCB recorded a 60-run win over PBKS, their fifth win of the IPL 2024 after losing six games in a row. Batting first, Bengaluru posted 241/7 before bowling Punjab out for 181 runs, earning their fourth win in a row. Kohli slammed seven fours and six sixes at a strike-rate of 195.74 in his vintage knock, which also took him past the 600-run mark in IPL 2024.

"Will Plan Against Virat Kohli": Babar Azam's Honest Take On India-Pakistan T20 World Cup Clash

Pakistan captain Babar Azam said the team will be planning their tactics against star India batter Virat Kohli for the high-octane clash with Men in Blue in the ICC T20 World Cup at West Indies/USA this year. Babar made this statement ahead of his side's T20I series against Ireland from March 10 onwards, which consists of three T20Is to be played in Dublin. The highly-anticipated clash between two arch-rivals will take place on June 9 in New York.

"Extremely Strong": Sri Lanka Great's Honest Verdict On India T20 World Cup 2024 Squad

Former Sri Lanka cricketer and Rajasthan Royals (RR) Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara hailed India's 15-member side for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 and called it an "extremely strong" squad. India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 05, 2024, at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York, followed by the marquee clash against Pakistan on June 09, 2024 at the same venue. India will then play the USA and Canada on June 12 and 15 respectively.