Ricky Ponting backs Rishabh Pant to have 'huge impact' on T20 World Cup 2024

Ricky Ponting lavished praise on Rishabh Pant after the wicketkeeper-batter made a remarkable comeback to competitive cricket during the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. However, the former Australian captain expressed his concerns over Pant's wicketkeeping ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.

Pant suffered a near-fatal car accident in December 2022 and had to wait for 14 months to return to competitive cricket. During IPL 2024, he returned to the field as the captain of Delhi Capitals and worked in unison with head coach Ponting. The Capitals finished sixth on the points table but Pant impressed cricket enthusiasts with his batting, amassing 446 runs from 13 games at an average of 40.55 and a strike rate of 155.40. He slammed three half-centuries and got picked in India's squad for the impending T20 World Cup.

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Ponting expressed his delight at seeing Pant back in the Indian team and said that he enjoyed working with the 26-year-old during IPL 2024.

“I was asked when I was over there what I thought about him. He'd been picked in the Indian squad, and I basically said he'd be one of the first players picked, and sure enough he was. So, great to see him back out there playing again. I've enjoyed every moment of working with him. Obviously, he's been the captain of the Delhi Capitals, and I've been the coach there. But it's been a remarkable comeback, and hopefully he has a huge impact on this World Cup,” Ponting told the ICC review.

Ponting, however, revealed that the Haridwar-born had his share of struggles in the wicketkeeping department during IPL 2024.

“No one had real concerns about his batting, because of how good he is and how dynamic he is with the bat. But with his wicket-keeping, and having to squat every ball for 14 games in a row, there were certainly some concerns there,” Ponting added.

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Pant's last international appearance came in December 2022 against Bangladesh in a Test match. He will look to continue his rich vein of form with the bat during next month's T20 World Cup and help India end their ICC title drought.