Star Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant played his first match against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup last year. Because India and Pakistan now only play each other in ICC or continental events, Rishabh has only had one chance to play against the Men in Green despite spending nearly five years at the highest level. And that game too was forgetful one as because for the first time in the history of World Cup matches, India suffered a defeat against Pakistan. Ten months after that defeat against the arch-rivals, India will again take on Babar Azam & Co. And this time, they will hope to settle the score. In an interview with ICC, Pant, who is an integral part of the Indian team, recalled the experience of playing Pakistan for the first time and said that he was moved by the vibe in the stadium and the atmosphere that the ground had that evening. Even though India failed to defend the 152-run target, Pant had a decent outing in that match as he scored 39 runs from 30 balls with the help of 2 fours and as many sixes.
During the interview, the 24-year-old also spoke about the moment when the two teams walked out in the middle for their respective national anthems and how he was awestruck by the occasion. Pant was signed as a replacement for the injured Shikhar Dhawan during the 2019 World Cup, but he didn’t get a chance to play against Pakistan then. In that game, India thrashed Pakistan at Old Trafford to maintain their lead over them in World Cup matches. Pant revealed that at that time he was present in the stands and wished to be part of such a game in the future.
