'Can’t ever forget the amazing partnership we had together' - Sanju Samson sends Rishabh Pant a lovely birthday wish

There are very few people, let alone cricketers, who get to see and achieve what Rishabh Pant has seen at a tender age of just 22. From pulsating highs that put him as one of the precocious talents of the world to be the poster boy of world cricket; from being at the zenith to suffering excruciating lows; from smoking two Test hundreds and becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper to becoming the butt of all criticisms courtesy his questionable shot-selections, there is nothing Pant hasn’t seen in his brief international career.

The Indian wicketkeeper and Delhi Capitals swashbuckling batsman, Rishabh Pant turns 22 today and the entire cricketing world is taking to social media to wish the left-hander. One of the birthday wishes came from another precious white-ball talent, someone who has always turned heads with his extraordinary batting skills: Sanju Samson.

Samson, who played alongside Pant during the 2017 edition of the Indian Premier League, posted a heartfelt message on Twitter. The Kerela batsman went on to reminisce about that maniac partnership that the duo shared against Gujarat Lions. 

Sanju’s tweet read, “Can’t ever forget the amazing partnership we had together!  And wishing you A Happy happy birthday Rishab. Wishing you a lovely birthday and an amazing year ahead !!”

A partnership for the ages

The partnership that Samjon was reminiscing about was the sensational 143-run-stand that the duo shared at the expense of Gujarat Lions in the 2017 edition of the Indian Premier League. Going into the run-chase, Delhi has an arduous task in front of them. Only once in the history of the Indian Premier League, had a target in excess of 209 was successfully chased.

To make matters worse, they had lost their skipper Karun Nair cheaply for an 11-ball 12. It was at this stage that these two ferocious hitters came together. The duo- in an amazing display of power-hitting, nonchalance and brute force- racked up a 143-run -stand in just 10.3 overs to make a mockery of the target set by the Lions’.

Pant finished with a 43-ball 97; an innings that included nine sixes and six fours while Samson finished with a 31-ball 61 to guide Delhi to a barely believable seven-wicket-win in just 17.3 overs. The 22-year-old is currently warming the bench in the ongoing 1st Test against South Africa.

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