Young Rishabh Pant is all set to take the responsibility behind the wickets when Indian and West Indies lock horns in 1st T20I at Florida on Saturday. With little clarity over the future of veteran MS Dhoni, the Delhi Boy has now become the preferred choice in all three formats.
Probably it’s the time when the cricket fans will once again witness the making of a new star. Just like in 2004, when a boy with long hairs from Ranchi made his international debut. The fact is, Pant has to grab the opportunity with both hands and captain Virat Kohli feels exactly the same.
“It's a great opportunity for someone like Rishabh Pant to really play a lot of international cricket, show his credentials, really unleash his potential at this stage,” Kohli said on Friday.
“We know how much ability he has and we all want him to become a consistent performer for the Indian cricket team. MS Dhoni's experience is always going to be a very crucial factor but having said that some of these younger guys have a great opportunity ahead of them and they should just look forward to it,” he added.
The T20 here on Saturday will be India's first outing since the heart-breaking loss to New Zealand in the World Cup semifinals last month. The skipper is yet to get over the loss. The Indian team could not train ahead of the game due to rain but having played here three years ago, it has an idea of the conditions.