'Destroyer is back' - Social media elated with Rishabh Pant's inclusion for Hong Kong clash

India takes on Hong Kong in their second match of the 2022 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in a bid to seal their spot for the Super 4 stage. While Hong Kong won the toss and put India to bat first, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma announced a massive change, resting Hardik Pandya for the game as wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant makes his return to the team after missing the high-profile clash against Pakistan.

The social media is elated as they finally got their wish fulfilled after Rishabh Pant finds himself in the starting XI following his controversial omission in the first match. The explosive batter was on the sidelines in the first match, much to the dismay of the Indian fans. The southpaw will be hoping to grab this opportunity with both hands and throw his name into consideration for the upcoming games.

Hardik Pandya, who played a scintillating knock with the bat to take India home in a thrilling finale against arch-rivals Pakistan in India's opening fixture, has been rested for the game against Hong Kong. Rohit Sharma stated that the all-rounder is invaluable for the team, and that is why the management wants to provide him with ample time to recover for the Super Four games.

The mantra on the Dubai pitch has been to bowl first as the teams in the two matches at the venue so far have won by chasing. The Indian skipper also stated that he would have opted to bowl first in order to utilize the tinge of grass on the surface. He emphasized the need to play good cricket irrespective of the opponents in front of them.

"We were going to bowl first as well. Looks like an even covering of grass and we need to bat well to get to a good score. We just want to continue to do what we are doing as a team. We don't want to look at the opposition and play good and hard cricket. We need to do our basics right, which is what got us a victory against Pakistan. One change: Hardik is rested considering how important he is for us, Pant comes in," the Indian skipper said in the aftermath of the toss.

Meanwhile, here's how Twitter reacted to Rishabh Pant's inclusion in the line-up: