In the T20 World Cup 2024 final between India and South Africa at Kensington Oval in Barbados’ Bridgetown, Rishabh Pant‘s failure at the crease proved to be a pivotal moment for Team India’s batting aspirations.
India’s promising start dashed early
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat first against South Africa, who were making their maiden appearance in a T20 World Cup final. The innings began with fireworks as Rohit and Virat Kohli aggressively smashed five boundaries in the opening over, setting a tone of dominance. However, the early optimism was abruptly halted when Rohit fell early, dismissed for just 9 runs by Keshav Maharaj in only the second over of the innings.
Rishabh Pant’s early dismissal rocks India in T20 World Cup final
Following Rohit’s dismissal, Pant strode to the crease with the responsibility to stabilize India’s innings alongside Kohli. Nevertheless, Pant’s tenure at the crease turned out to be disappointingly brief and eventful. He came in looking to assert himself, attempting a sweep shot off a low full-toss delivered by South African spinner Maharaj. Unfortunately, Pant mistimed the shot, resulting in a top edge that was easily gathered by wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock. With this, Pant was dismissed without contributing to India’s total, leaving the team in a precarious position early in the match.
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In the aftermath of Pant’s dismissal, social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), exploded with criticism directed at the young wicketkeeper-batter. Fans and cricket enthusiasts expressed frustration and disappointment over Pant’s reckless shot selection, with many questioning his judgment in attempting such a risky shot against a spinner early in his innings. Others lamented his lack of game awareness and the potential impact of his dismissal on India’s chances in the final.
Here’s how fans reacted:
The faster Rishabh Pant realizes he is not meant for T20 cricket, better it will be for India 💀 pic.twitter.com/thgoJnST5Z
— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) June 29, 2024
They dropped classy KL Rahul for mug lappebaz Rishabh Pant. 😔💔 #INDvsSAFinal pic.twitter.com/gIklyUJGNF
— Kunal Yadav (@Kunal_KLR) June 29, 2024
Highly disappointed with Pant and Surya. It was their time to shine but both just threw away the wicket. pic.twitter.com/j29bqBX6AL
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) June 29, 2024
Rishabh pant Surya 😭#INDvsSAFinal pic.twitter.com/fw7CGiiuce
— Raja Babu (@GaurangBhardwa1) June 29, 2024
I feel sorry for Sanju Samson. Rishabh Pant got a full chance in this World Cup, and if you ignore that one innings against Pakistan where he scored 40+ with 5 dropped catches, he did nothing. Does Pant still have a place in T20I cricket? Poor Sanju Samson must feel really… pic.twitter.com/NfLCuYDW5M
— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952) June 29, 2024
RISHABH PANT
He is the biggest Fraud
He is the biggest Scam
He is the biggest Loser
He is the biggest Parchi
He is the biggest ConManIndia always done Injustice To SANJU SAMSON in the name of X Factor Pant. What X factor are you talking about this Guy? #INDvsSAFinal pic.twitter.com/xxNIB3AlKK
— . ᵇʳᵘᵗᵘ 🇮🇳 (@Brutu24) June 29, 2024
Rishabh Pant should stick to test Cricket for the betterment of Team India.
Sanju Samson in his place would have been ideal.I hope Sanju could have hired better PR and released some web series to get a place in the playing 11 ahead of pant. pic.twitter.com/oWjQ08zHmo
— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) June 29, 2024
Rishabh Pant talked about what he would’ve done in the 2023 WC Finals if he was there.. Either India are getting a big total or 150 all out…. Now we know.
— arfan (@Im__Arfan) June 29, 2024
Once again Rishabh Pant failed in the big stage of T20 world cup final but the management trusted him blindly, if they wanted they could have played Sanju Samson. pic.twitter.com/FVR2yvng2c
— • ᴀsʜ ʙᴀᴢ •🎋 x 🇵🇹 ( ᴍᴀᴅʀɪᴅ ᴋᴀ ᴘᴀʀɪᴠᴀʀ ) (@FUTURE_LEADERR) June 29, 2024
No offense but Rishab Pant said recently that if he was in the playing XI in the 2023 World Cup final against Australia in place of KL Rahul, India would score 300 runs !!!
— Juman Sarma (@cool_rahulfan) June 29, 2024
Pant should learn from axar how you can play sensible cricket with 140+ strike rate
— sujay anand (@imsujayanand) June 29, 2024
Axar Patel is all over better player than Rishabh Pant . Pant has been flop show over the tournament. I don’t know if Rishabh has some source or favours from the BCCI top brass . #T20WorldCup #INDvSA #RishabhPant
— Kshitij Dhankar 🇮🇳 (@KshitijDhankar) June 29, 2024
Virat Kohli leads recovery as India posts competitive total
After Pant’s dismissal for a duck, India faced early setbacks but recovered well. Kohli anchored the innings with a composed 76 off 59 balls, guiding India through the middle overs. Axar Patel played a crucial knock of 47 off 31 balls, stabilizing the innings and providing momentum with a strike rate of 151.61. Shivam Dube contributed a quickfire 27 off 16 balls, including three boundaries and a six, boosting India’s total. Hardik Pandya added a brisk 5 not out off just 2 balls at the end. Despite losing wickets at crucial junctures, India managed to post a competitive total of 176/7 in their 20 overs, showcasing a blend of steady partnerships and aggressive batting phases.
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