GT vs DC: Kevin Pietersen backs Rishabh Pant to be 'ready for T20 World Cup' by end of IPL 2024

Match 32 of the IPL 2024 edition saw the Rishabh Pant-led Delhi Capitals (DC) storm past hosts Gujarat Titans (GT), in Ahmedabad, on Wednesday (April 17) to win by six wickets in pursuit of a paltry 90. After chasing the target in a mere 9.2 overs, DC improved their Net Run Rate (at-0.074) to climb to the sixth spot in the points table. Captain Pant ended as the Player of the Matchdespite Mukesh Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Tristan Stubss sharing seven wickets in between, for his wicketkeeping and captaincy skills.

After the match, former England captain-turned-commentator Kevin Pietersen lauded Pant for his fitness and work behind the stumps during the GT encounter, at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad. Pant accounted for four dismissals behind the stumps, led with aplomb and also ended with an 11-ball 16 not out. He took a sensational catch to dismiss dangerman David Miller andfollowed it up with twosuccessive stumpings of Abhinav Manohar and Shahrukh Khan.

Thus, Pietersen lauded Pant and stated that he looks poised to feature in India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad. So far, the swashbuckling left-hander -- who returned to competitive cricket during the ongoing edition after a horrific car crash in late 2022 -- has managed210 runs in 154 ballsat a strike rate of 156.72. Thus, he is surely a strong contender to make it to the T20 WC squad.

Speaking on Star Sports, Pietersen said, "He's (Pant) doing a pretty good job... I thought his mobility tonight was something that gave him great encouragement. That will give Team India great encouragement. He needs game time, of course, everybody needs game time when they're coming back from an injury. He's coming back from a horrific injury, so game time is what he needs and to get himself into a T20 World Cup, to have played 14,15,16,17 games. It's a big thing leading into a T20 World Cup, so if he does go and they (DC) do play that much cricket, he will be so ready."

Pant started off slowly but is now in full flow in the ongoing IPL season. He would first hope for DC to reach the playoffs so that he gets more game time under his beltand continues to make a mark both with the bat andbehind the wicketsto be part of Rohit Sharma-led India's T20 WC squad.

The mega event will be held in the West Indies and the USA in early June, soon after IPL 2024. India's provisional squad is expected to be out by early May.