Rishabh Pant will take the field as captain of the Indian T20 side against South Africa on Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.
It’s a very good feeling although it didn’t come in good circumstances. The news just came in for me as well an hour back so I’m also processing it. I haven’t even digested the information yet. It is a great feeling to get this opportunity, especially in my hometown.
As Pant gets ready to own this new role, he will also creating a record for the 2nd youngest captain to lead India in T20 Internationals. Only Suresh Raina is ahead of Pant in this list, who was appointed as the T20 skipper in 2010, when India toured Zimbabwe for a 2-match T20 series. Raina was 23 years and 197 days old. Pant will be 24 years and 248 days when India and South Africa take on each other.
As far as the team composition is concerned, Pant said that there will be a lot of changes going forward. He added that they are trying to achieve certain goals they have set together as a team.
As a team, we have thought about certain goals that we want to achieve as a team. We are continuously working on them. We are thinking about the World Cup. In the coming days, you’ll see a lot of changes.
While Pant has always been seen as a player most suited for T20s, it has been surprising to see him excel a lot more in test cricket than in the format that brought him in limelight.
Pant has played 43 T20Is, and scored 683 runs, with three fifties to his name. The numbers are far from great according to Pant's stature, but the thing that worries a lot more is his strike rate, which stands at a meagre 125.
While he has been not out 9 times, the strike rate is something to look out for. With the added responsibility of captaincy now, will we be able to see the real Rishabh Pant?
Pant's strike rate (128.52) took a considerable hit when he took over DC's captaincy in 2021. IPL 2020 was a bad season for Pant. But in the 2019 and 2018 editions of the league, Pant's strike rate was between 160-175.
In the 2022 edition of the league, Pant's strike rate was close to 153 - a massive improvement over his international and past seasons' numbers. It's not that he isn't capable to do so, he is. But is the risk worth it? The pressure to lead your country is way different and bigger than leading an IPL franchise. You would never want to lose the swashbuckling nature of Pant. That is his USP, and that is what makes Pant special.
