IPL 2024: Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting back Rishabh Pant to play 2024 T20 World Cup

Delhi Capitals’ Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting feel keeper-batter Rishabh Pant should play the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA. The attacking left-handed batter returned to competitive cricket for the first time in IPL 2024 since December 2022, when he suffered multiple injuries in a horrific road accident.

While Pant hasn’t looked in his element upon his comeback to the cricket field, and understandably so, DC’s top management feels he still has it in him to deliver for India in the 20-team tournament starting on June 1. Speaking to PTI in New Delhi on Monday (April 22), Ganguly said Pant should be included in India’s 15-man squad and play in the middle order.

"Yes, I think so, Pant should be part of the World Cup squad," Ganguly said in New Delhi on Monday.

"He should bat in the middle order. Where exactly is difficult to say because of match-ups and right-left combinations depending on who bowls. It also depends on the situation,” the former India captain added.

On the other hand, DC’s head coachPontingfeels Pant was a bit apprehensive at the beginning of this season but has felt confident about his keeping and batting since.

Punter also commented on Pant’s confidence, saying the India star trusts his abilities and that he’s too good a player to get dropped from the T20 World Cup squad.

"He's starting to get a bit more trust and belief in his body as well," Ponting said.

"I think early on, he had been a little bit apprehensive as to what he could do, especially with the wicketkeeping side of it. With his batting, coming into the tournament, he had pretty good trust in his abilities."

"I think his batting is getting better and better by the game. I've been asked a lot already over the last couple of weeks, now that he's back and playing, what I think about his World Cup chances. I think he'll be in the squad for sure. I think he's too good of a player and can have too much of an impact on the game,” Ponting continued.

Pant ahead of DK, Sanju in the pecking order

Although the Indian selectors are yet to sit with Captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid to pick the 2024 T20 WC squad, the latest reports have emerged that Pant is leading the race to be the first-choice keeper, with KL Rahul and Sanju Samson being considered the backup options.

However, the selectors are not looking at Dinesh Karthik as one of the options despite the veteran cricketer scoring heaps of runs for RCB in IPL 2024.