T20 World Cup: Rishabh Pant comments on India's ODI WC final defeat to Australia, says 'if I had played...'

Rishabh Pant is all set to make his mark for Team India in the T20 World Cup as he takes guard against Pakistan on Sunday (June 9). Playing in his first international tournament after a near-fatal car accident in December 2022, Pant will be eager to make his presence felt. However, the Indian batter opened up on how badly he missed the ODI World Cup final having been injured. He also suggested that the match result would have been different had he been on the field during the World Cup which India lost to Australia in November in Ahmedabad.

Pant opens up on ODI World Cup final

"If I had played the 2023 Cricket World Cup Final then, we would have either been all out for 150 or 200 runs or would have scored over 300+ runs," Pant said while speaking to India TV’s Rajat Sharma.

Since his accident in December 2022, Pant only returned to action during the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) season. He played the entire IPL season with Delhi Capitals where the side could not clinch a place in the Playoffs. However, the southpaw showed his fitness level and was picked for the Indian team for the T20 World Cup, marking his return to the side after 18 months of staying away from the game.

India ready for Pakistan clash

India will be gearing up for the first-ever T20 World Cup meeting against Pakistan in the United States on Sunday which is set to attract a record crowd for a cricket match in the country. This will be the eighth meeting in the T20 World Cup with India leading the head-to-head 6-1. Pakistan’s solitary victory came in the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup when Virat Kohli's side was outclassed in the UAE.

Sunday’s encounter however will have a lot at stake forPakistan as the Men in Green could be on the brink of elimination if they lose to India. A defeat for Pakistan coupled with a win for the USA against either India or Ireland will see Babar Azam’s men face elimination in the group stage.